THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


'-V' 


MADAM   CONSTANTLY 


'A  fourth  time  I  tried  and,  failing,  gave  over 

and  laid  my  face  against  the  saddle.'  p.  273 


Madam  Constantia 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  A  PRISONER  OF 

WAR  IN  THE  REVOLUTION 

(SOUTH  CAROLINA) 


EDITED    BY 

JEFFERSON  CARTER 


Troa  Tyriuaque  mihi  nullo  discrimine  agetur 


LONGMANS,  GREEN  AND  CO. 

FOURTH  AVENUE  &  SOrn  STREET,  NEW  YORK 

39  PATERNOSTER  ROW,  LONDON 

BOMBAY,  CALCUTTA,  AND  MADRAS 

1919 


COPYHIGHT,  1919,  BY 

LONGMANS,  GREEN  &  CO. 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


PS 

C 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

OT          I.  SIR  EDWARD'S  PREFACE 1 

$         II.  UNDER  KING'S  MOUNTAIN 8 

s~ 

III.  MADAM  CONSTANTIA 26 

•'* 

IV.  AT  THE  SMITHY 48 

V.  THE  SWAMP  Fox 72 

3? 

"m        VI.  ON  PAROLE 94 

CM 

|      VII.  HICKORY  KNOB 116 

VIII.  THE  MAN  WITH  Two  FACES 141 

$       IX.  THE  COURT  is  CLOSED 165 

o        X.  THE  WOMAI 's  PART.  .  188 

o 

XI.  THE  MAN'S  PART 211 

5 

cj      XII.  THE  MILL  ON  THE  WATEREE 235 

< 

XIII.  CONSTANTIA  AT  SARATOGA.        260 


449775 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE 

Although  the  Historical  Manuscripts  Commission 
(England)  has  dealt  with  several  of  the  Northum 
berland  Collections,  the  Commission  has  not 
thought  fit  to  print  among  the  papers  of  the  Craven 
family  of  Osgodby,  the  narrative  of  the  fifth  bar 
onet's  experiences  in  South  Carolina  during  the 
War  of  American  Independence.  The  reason  for 
this  decision  may  be  either  a  belief  that  the  episode 
is  not  of  value  from  a  historical  standpoint;  or  a 
suspicion  that  the  facts  owe  something  to  the  ex 
pansion  of  a  man  writing  many  years  later.  How 
ever  this  may  be,  the  story  seemed  to  the  present 
Editor  to  possess  a  certain  poignancy,  and,  not 
withstanding  some  intimate  passages,  to  be  worthy 
of  a  public  wider  than  that  of  the  County  of  its 
birth.  He  has,  therefore,  with  such  skill  as  he 
possesses  prepared  it  for  publication. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Sir  Edward  Craven  no 
where  names  the  regiment  in  which  he  served,  but  it 
appears  from  other  sources  that  it  was  the  33rd 
Regiment  of  Foot,  now  styled  the  Duke  of  Welling 
ton's  Regiment. 

The  Editor  has  thought  proper  to  retain  the 
fanciful  title  prefixed  by  the  writer,  but  has  added 
some  Chapter  headings. 

vii 


MADAM   CONSTANTIA 


CHAPTER    I 

SIR  EDWARD'S  PREFACE 

So  here  is  this  fatal  war  commenced! 
'  The  Child  that  is  unborn  shall  rue 
The  hunting  of  that  day! ' 

H.  WALPOLE. 

Not  Lord  Chatham,  not  Alexander  the  Great,  nor  CcBsar  has 
ever  conquered  so  much  territory  in  the  course  of  all  their  wars 
as  Lord  North  has  lost  in  one  campaign! 

C.  J.  Fox. 

Six  months  ago  I  went  through  the  old  papers  in 
the  Strongroom.  I  noted  that  neither  my  father 
nor  my  grandfather  had  added  a  line,  save  in  the 
way  of  leases  and  the  like,  to  the  records  which  the 
first  and  second  baronets  left  of  the  Siege  of  New 
castle,  and  of  the  Union  troubles.  It  occurred  to 
me  that  we  owed  something  to  posterity;  and  that, 
for  lack  of  more  important  matter,  my  fortunes 
en  campagne  in  America  were  a  part  of  the  family 
history,  and  proper  to  be  preserved. 

For  an  idle  man,  however,  to  will  and  to  do  are 
two  things;  and  I  might  never  have  proceeded  be 
yond  the  former  if  I  had  not  a  day  or  two  later 
taken  up  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  and  learned 

1 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

that  General  Washington  of  the  United  States  of 
America  had  passed  away  at  his  seat  at  Mount 
Vernon  on  the  fourteenth  of  the  preceding  month. 
That  gave  me  the  needed  fillip.  I  never  knew  him; 
at  least  I  never  knew  him  by  that  title,  since  on  the 
few  occasions  on  which  I  met  him,  it  was  beyond 
my  duty  as  an  officer  in  His  Majesty's  service  to 
admit  the  existence  of  the  States.  I  believe  him, 
however,  to  have  been  a  gentleman  of  good  family, 
kindly  and  dignified,  somewhat  of  the  old  school, 
and  of  considerable  military  ability;  one,  too,  whose 
influence  went  some  way  towards  checking  within 
llis  spher%,of  action  the  rancour  that  in  the  Southern 
Colonies  stained  the  Continental  Cause  and  did  not 
spare  ours.  Unfortunately  from  '80  onwards  my 
duty  led  me  into  the  Carolinas;  and  it  was  to  the 
sad  and  unusual  nature  of  the  war  in  those  provinces 
that  what  was  singular  in  my  experiences  was  due. 
Previously,  to  be  brief,  I  had  served  for  three 
years  in  the  north,  I  had  suffered  the  humiliation 
of  surrendering  with  that  gallant  and  loyal  gentle 
man,  General  Burgoyne,  I  had  been  exchanged. 
But  my  experiences  in  Canada  and  on  the  Hudson 
were  those  of  a  hundred  others  and  I  pass  over 
them,  proposing  to  begin  my  relation  at  the  point  at 
which  the  fortunes  of  war  cast  me  adrift,  and  flung 
me  on  my  own  resources. 

2 


SIR    EDWARD'S    PREFACE 

From  where  I  write,  looking  out  on  the  barren, 
frost-bound  hills  of  the  Border,  it  is  a  far  cry  to  the 
rice-fields  and  tropical  lands  of  the  Tide-water  of 
Carolina;  and  a  farther  cry  to  the  rolling  country 
of  pleasant  vale  and  forest  that  sweeps  upwards  to 
the  foothills,  and  so  to  the  misty  distances  of  the 
Blue  Ridge.  In  those  days  it  was  often  a  three 
months'  passage,  on  salt  meat  and  stale  water;  a 
passage  of  which  many  a  poor  fellow  never  saw  the 
end.  To-day  I  cross  in  a  moment.  But  before  I 
do  so,  let  me  add  a  word  of  preface,  that  all  who 
read  this  may  view  the  matter  from  our  standpoint 
in  '80,  midway  in  the  fighting,  rather  than  from  the 
point  at  which  we  stand  to-day,  with  the  end  be 
hind  us  and  an  American  Minister  at  St.  James's. 

I  say  nothing  about  the  Tea  Duty  or  the  claim 
to  tax  the  Colonies.  I  believe  that  we  had  a  right 
to  have  money  from  them;  our  fleet  covered  their 
trade.  But  whether  we  should  not  have  left  it  to 
them  to  tax  themselves  is  another  matter,  and  seems 
more  English.  What  is  certain  is,  that  we  had 
through  the  war  the  most  worthless  government 
that  ever  held  power  in  England;  and  so  my  father 
said  a  hundred  times  —  and  voted  for  them  steadily 
till  the  day  they  fell! 

In  the  City  and  at  Brooks's  the  war  was  never 
popular.  There  were  many  in  both  who  asked  with 

3 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

Mr.  Walpole  what  we  should  gain  by  triumph  it 
self;  would  America,  laid  waste,  replace  America 
flourishing,  rich  and  free?  And  here  and  there  an 
officer  declined  to  serve  against  his  kinsmen  and  was 
allowed  to  stand  aside.  But  for  the  most  part  we 
ran  to  it,  younger  sons  and  eldest  too,  from  my 
neighbor  Lord  Percy  downward,  as  to  an  adven 
ture.  All  who  could  beg  or  buy  a  commission 
mounted  the  cockade.  The  thing  was  fashionable 

—  with  two  results  that  I  came  to  think  unhappy. 
The  first  was  that  too  many  of  our  people  — 

those  in  particular  who  had  the  least  right  to  do  so 

—  looked  down  on  the  Colonials  from  a  social  height 
as  on  a  set  of  farmers  and  clodhoppers;  forgetting 
that  many  of  them  were  our  own  cousins  once  or 
twice  removed,  and  that  some  had  been  bred  up 
beside  us  at  Westminster  and  Oxford.     The  second 
was  that  those  of  us  who  had  seen  service  under  the 
great  Frederick,  or  had  learned  our  drill  at  Finchley 
or  Hounslow,  sneered  at  the  rebel  officers  as  tailors, 
called    them    Mohairs  —  God    knows   why! — and 
made  light  not  only  of  their  skill  but  their  courage, 
treating  even  the  Loyalists  who  joined  us  as  of  a 
lower  grade. 

For  these  two  prejudices  we  were  to  pay  very 
dearly.  They  not  only  brought  into  the  struggle  a 
bitterness  which  was  needless  and  to  be  deplored, 

4 


SIR    EDWARD'S    PREFACE 

but,  as  things  turned  out,  they  reacted  very  un 
pleasantly  on  ourselves.  It  was  bad  enough  to  be 
worsted  by  those  whom  the  meaner  and  more  foolish 
among  us  regarded  as  of  lower  clay;  it  was  still 
more  mortifying  for  old  soldiers,  who  had  learned 
their  drill  in  the  barrack-yard,  to  find  that  it  went 
for  little  in  face  of  the  immensities  of  that  unknown 
continent;  and  that  among  the  forests  of  the  Hud 
son  or  in  the  marshes  of  the  Savannah  our  military 
art  was  of  far  less  value  than  the  power  to  shoot 
straight,  or  to  lay  an  ambush  after  the  Indian 
fashion. 

Owing  to  these  two  prejudices  the  lessons  we  had 
to  learn  in  the  war  were  the  more  painful.  Not 
that  our  poor  fellows  did  not  fight.  Believe  me, 
they  fought  with  the  most  dogged  courage  —  some 
times  when  the  only  powder  they  had  was  the  powder 
on  their  queues,  and  the  steel  or  the  clubbed  musket 
was  their  only  weapon.  But  the  others  fought  too 
and  stubbornly  —  what  else  could  we  expect? 
They  were  of  our  blood  and  bone;  they,  too,  were 
Britons.  And  they  were  in  their  own  forests,  on 
their  own  rivers,  —  which  seemed  to  be  seas  to  us  — 
they  were  fighting  for  their  homes  and  barns  and 
orchards.  Whereas  we  were  twelve  weeks  from 
home,  ill-fed,  ill-found,  and  ill-supported,  scattered 
over  hundreds  of  leagues,  and  lost  in  pathless  wilds 

5 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

that  grew  more  hostile  as  outrage  on  the  one  side  or 
the  other  embittered  our  relations. 

The  first  half  of  the  war  was  fought  in  the  nor 
thern  colonies.  It  ended  sadly,  as  all  remember, 
in  our  surrender  at  Saratoga,  and  in  the  retreat  of 
General  Clinton  from  Philadelphia  to  the  sea-coast. 
After  that,  the  fighting  was  transferred  to  the  south, 
to  Georgia,  the  Carolinas  and  Virginia.  We  took 
Charles  Town,  we  defeated  the  Continental  Army 
at  Camden,  we  had  South  Carolina  in  our  hands, 
we  looked  hopefully  towards  the  north.  And  then, 
in  the  late  summer  of  '80,  when  the  south  seemed  to 
be  in  our  hands,  the  country  on  all  sides  rose  against 
us  as  by  magic  and  the  war  took  on  a  new  and  more 
savage  character.  But  enough  has  been  said  by  way 
of  general  preface. 

For  myself.  On  the  fifth  of  October  of  that  year 
'80,  I  was  sent  from  Charlotte  —  whither  my  Lord 
Cornwallis  had  advanced  on  his  way  into  North 
Carolina  —  with  important  orders  to  Colonel  Fer 
guson,  who  at  the  time  was  covering  the  left  flank 
with  a  strong  body  of  royalists.  On  the  sixth, 
accompanied  by  Simms,  my  orderly,  and  after 
a  perilous  ride,  I  reached  Ferguson's  camp  on 
King's  Mountain.  He  knew  that  the  enemy  were 
in  strength  in  the  neighbourhood,  and,  after  falling 
back  some  distance,  he  had  taken  up  a  strong 

6 


SIR    EDWARD'S    PREFACE 

position  on  a  ridge,  which  rose  above  the  forest  — 
a  more  active  and  able  officer  was  not  in  the  service. 
But  this  time  he  had  either  under- valued  his  oppo 
nents,  sturdy  hunters  and  settlers  from  the  Back 
waters,  or  he  had  over-estimated  the  strength  of  his 
position;  and  the  lamentable  issue  of  the  fight  on 
the  following  day  is  well  known.  After  a  fierce 
struggle  Ferguson's  men  were  out-flanked  and  sur 
rounded,  and  he  himself  fell,  striving  bravely  to  the 
last,  while  the  greater  part  of  his  force  was  captured 
or  cut  to  pieces.  Of  the  few  who  had  the  good 
fortune  to  break  through  the  ring  I  was  one.  Nor 
was  I  only  fortunate  for  myself,  for  I  carried  off 
poor  Simms  on  my  crupper.  From  this  point  my 
relation  starts. 


UNDER  KING'S;MOUNTAIN 

But  Major  Ferguson  by  endeavoring  to  intercept  the  enemy 
in  this  retreat  unfortunately  gave  time  for  fresh  bodies  of  men 
to  pass  the  mountains  and  to  unite  into  a  corps  far  superior  to 
that  which  he  commanded.  They  came  up  with  him  and  after 
a  sharp  action  entirely  defeated  him.  Ferguson  was  killed  and 
all  his  party  either  slain  or  taken. 

RAWDON  CORRESPONDENCE. 

I  was  riding  my  grey,  Minden,  on  that  day,  and  I 
never  wish  to  ride  a  better  nag.  But  the  weight  of 
two  heavy  men  is  much  for  the  staunchest  horse, 
and  when  it  fell,  as  it  did  a  few  yards  short  of  safety, 
it  came  to  the  ground  so  heavily  that  the  shock 
drove  the  breath  out  of  my  body.  For  a  moment  I 
did  not  know  what  had  befallen  me.  I  lay  and  felt 
nothing.  If  I  thought  at  all,  I  supposed  that  the 
horse  had  stumbled.  Then,  coming  to  myself  I 
tried  to  rise,  and  sank  with  the  sweat  starting  from 
every  pore. 

Simms,  three  or  four  yards  from  me,  lay  still. 
The  horse  lay  as  still,  but  on  my  right  shoulder, 
pinning  me  down  and  it  needed  no  more  to  tell  me 
that  my  sword-arm  was  broken,  and  that  I  was 

8 


UNDER    KING'S    MOUNTAIN 

helpless.  The  next  thing  that  I  remember,  a  man 
was  standing  some  paces  from  me^and  covering  me 
with  one  of  their  Deckhard  rifles. 

Instinct  speaks  before  reason.  "Don't  shoot!" 
I  cried. 

"Why  not?"  he  answered.  "D  —  n  you,  your 
time  is  out!  It  was  your  turn  at  the  Waxhaws  and 
it's  little  quarter  you  gave  us  there!  It's  our  turn 
to-day!" 

Instinct  prevailed  once  more.  I  knew  that  I 
could  not  rise,  but  I  tried  to  rise.  Then  I  fainted.  ] 

When  I  opened  my  eyes  again  —  to  the  circle  of 
blue  sky  and  the  feathery  tree-tops  waving  about 
the  little  clearing  —  the  man  was  standing  over  me, 
a  dark  figure  leaning  on  his  gun.  He  was  looking 
down  at  me.  As  soon  as  I  could  direct  my  mind  to 
him,  "You  have  the  advantage  of  me,  stranger,"  he 
said  dryly.  "A  redcoat's  no  more  to  me  than  a 
quail.  But  shooting  a  man  who  shams  to  be  dead 
is  not  in  my  way.  It's  you,  that  will  pay  the  price, 
however." 

"You'd  not  shoot  a  wounded  man,"  I  muttered 
—  not  that  for  the  moment  I  seemed  to  care  greatly. 

"Who  shot  them  at  the  Waxhaws?"  he  retorted 
savagely.  "And  hung  them  at  Augusta?  And 
gave  them  to  the  Indians  to  do  worse  things  with? 
By  G-d!"  and  with  that  he  stopped  speaking,  and 

9 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

with  an  ugly  look,  he  handled  his  rifle  as  if  he  were 
going  to  knock  out  my  brains  with  the  stock. 

But  I  was  past  fear  and  I  was  in  pain.  "  Do  your 
worst!"  I  said  recklessly,  "And  God  save  the 
King!" 

He  lowered  his  gun  and  seemed  to  think  better  of 
it.  He  even  smiled  in  an  acrid  sort  of  fashion,  as  he 
looked  down  at  me.  "Well,  Britisher,"  he  said, 
"you  have  the  advantage  of  me!  But  if  you  can  tell 
me  what  I  am  going  to  do  with  you  — " 

"Hospital,"  I  murmured. 

"Hospital!"  he  repeated.  "Jerusalem!  He 
says  Hospital!  Man,  do  you  know  that  there  are 
nine  here  who  lost  their  folks  at  the  Waxhaws, 
and  thirty  who  are  akin  to  them,  and  who've 
sworn,  every  man  of  them,  to  give  no  quarter  to  a 
Tory  or  an  Englishman!  And  I'll  not  deny,"  he 
continued  in  a  lower  tone,  "that  I've  sworn  the 
same,  and  am  perjured  this  moment.  And  he  says 
-Hospital!" 

"But  the  laws  of  war!"  I  protested  weakly. 

"Ay,  you  score  them  plainly  enough  on  your 
poor  devils'  backs!" 

"You  make  a  mistake,"  I  said.  I  was  becom 
ing  a  little  clearer  in  my  mind.  "Those  are  the 
Articles  of  war." 

"Indeed!"  he  replied.  And  he  stared  at  me  as  if 
10 


UNDER    KING'S    MOUNTAIN 

he  had  never  seen  a  King's  officer  before.  Then 
"Why  did  you  stop  to  pick  up  that  fellow?"  he 
asked,  indicating  poor  Simms  by  a  gesture.  "If 
you'd  ridden  straight  away,  I  should  have  been 
too  late.  It  was  your  pause  that  gave  me  time  to 
level  at  your  horse  and  bring  it  down." 

I  raised  myself  on  my  elbow  and  found  that  the 
man  had  released  me  from  Minden  and  had  lifted  me 
to  the  edge  of  the  clearing.  Simms  still  sprawled 
where  he  had  fallen,  with  his  arms  cast  wide  and  his 
neck  awry.  The  horse  lay  half  in  and  half  out  of 
the  stagnant  pool  that  lapped  the  roots  of  the  trees 
on  the  farther  side  of  the  clearing. 

"Is  he  dead?  "  I  asked,  staring  at  Simms. 

"Neck  broken,"  the  man  replied,  "Who  was  he?" 

"My  orderly." 

"Rank  and  file?" 

"What  else?"  I  said. 

He  grunted.  "Is  that  in  the  Articles  of  War, 
too?"  he  said.  "But  any  way,  you  did  him 
little  good,  and  wrecked  yourself  by  it!"  Then,  in  a 
different  tone,  "See  here,"  he  said,  "you've  tricked 
me,  shamming  to  be  dead  and  playing  'possum.  I 
can't  leave  you  to  the  buzzards,  nor  yet  carry  you 
to  the  camp,  for  they'll  be  for  shooting  you — • 
shooting  you,  my  friend,  for  certain!  You'll  have 
to  ride  if  I  can  get  you  a  horse.  That  is  your  only 

11 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

chance.  I  shall  be  away  some  time  and  if  you  wish 
to  live  you  will  lie  close.  It's  not  healthy  any 
where  this  side  of  the  Catawba  for  that  uniform!" 
I  was  in  pain,  but  I  was  sufficiently  myself  to  be 
anxious  when  he  had  left  me;  painfully  anxious  as 
time  went  on  and  he  did  not  return.  I  lay  staring 
at  poor  Simms;  the  flies  were  clustering  on  his  face. 
I  thought  of  the  light  heart  with  which  I  had  ridden 
into  Ferguson's  camp  and  joined  him  and  his  volun 
teers  the  day  before.  I  thought  of  the  gay  dinner 
we  had  eaten,  and  the  toasts  we  had  drunk,  and  the 
"Confusion  to  the  Rebels"  which  we  had  planned  — • 
campaigning,  a  man  learns  to  enjoy  life  as  it  comes. 
And  then  I  thought  of  the  day  that  had  gone  against 
us,  miserably  and  unaccountably;  of  poor  Ferguson, 
dragged  and  dead,  with  his  foot  in  the  stirrup  and 
enough  wounds  in  him  to  let  out  the  lives  of  five 
men;  of  Husbands  and  Plummer  and  Martin  —  I 
had  seen  them  all  go  down,  —  those,  who  had  escaped 
in  the  fight,  shot  like  rabbits  in  the  last  rush  for  the 
horses.  By  the  laws  of  war,  or  of  anything  but  this 
blind  partisan  fighting  we  should  have  won  the 
battle  against  an  equal  number  of  undrilled  farmers 
and  backwoodsmen.  We  must  have  won.  But  we 
had  lost;  and  I  lay  there  under  the  sumach  bushes 
that  blended  with  the  red  of  the  old  uniform;  and 
if  the  man  who  had  shot  poor  Minden  at  that  last 

12 


UNDER     KING'S    MOUNTAIN 

unlucky  moment  did  not  return,  the  buzzards  would 
presently  spy  me  out  and  Simms  would  not  be  the 
less  fortunate  of  the  two. 

For  the  sounds  of  the  fight  had  died  away.  The 
pursuit  had  taken  another  line,  the  silence  of  the 
forest  was  no  longer  torn  by  shot  or  scream.  Even 
the  excited  chatter  of  the  birds  had  ceased.  The 
little  clearing  lay  lonely,  with  the  short  twilight  not 
far  off  —  was  that  a  buzzard  already,  that  tiny 
speck  in  the  sky  ? 

What  if  the  man  did  not  come  back? 

But,  thank  God,  even  as  I  thought  of  this,  I  heard 
him.  He  came  into  view  among  the  boles  of  the 
trees  on  the  farther  side  of  the  clearing,  riding  one 
horse  and  leading  another.  He  dismounted  beside 
me  and  hooked  the  reins  over  a  bough,  and  for  the 
first  time  I  took  in  what  he  was  like.  He  appeared 
to  be  middle-aged,  a  tallish  lean  man,  with  hair 
that  was  turning  gray.  He  wore  a  hunter's  shirt 
and  buckskin  leggings,  and  with  this,  some  show  of 
uniform;  a  blue  sash  and  a  wide-brimmed  hat  with 
a  white  cockade  were  pretty  well  the  sum  of  it.  He 
had  steely  eyes  —  they  showed  light  in  the  brown  of 
his  thin  hard-bitten  face.  He  stepped  to  the  dead 
man  and  took  from  him  a  strap  or  two.  Then  he 
came  to  me. 

"Now!"  he  said  curtly.  "Harden  your  heart, 
13 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

King  George!  You'll  wince  once  or  twice  before 
you  are  in  that  saddle.  But  when  you  are  there 
you'll  have  a  chance,  and  there's  no  other  way  you 
will  have  one !  Now ! " 

To  tell  the  truth,  I  winced  already,  having  a 
horror  of  pain.  But  knowing  that  if  I  cried  out, 
here  was  this  rebel  Yankee  —  who  had  no  more 
nerves  than  a  plantation  Sambo  —  to  hear  me,  I 
set  my  teeth  while,  with  a  splint  made  of  two  pieces 
of  wood,  he  secured  my  arm  in  its  due  position,  and 
eased  as  far  as  he  could  the  crushed  shoulder.  He 
did  it  not  untenderly,  and  when  he  rose  to  his  feet, 
"You  look  pretty  sick,"  he  said,  "as  if  you'd  be 
the  better  for  a  sup  of  Kentucky  whisky.  But 
there's  none  here,  and  there's  worse  to  come.  So 
pull  yourself  together,  and  think  of  old  England!" 

He  spoke  in  a  tone  of  derision,  to  which  the 
gentleness  of  his  touch  gave  the  lie.  I  rose  to  my 
feet  and  eyed  the  saddle.  "It's  that  or  the  buz 
zards,"  he  said,  seeing  that  I  hesitated;  and  he 
shoved  me  up.  I  did  what  I  could  myself  and  with 
an  effort  I  climbed  into  the  saddle.  "That's  good!" 
he  exclaimed.  "  For  a  beginning." 

I  cried  out  once  —  I  could  not  refrain;  but  I  was 
mounted  now  if  I  could  stay  where  I  was.  I  sup 
pose  that  he  saw  that  I  was  on  the  verge  of  collapse, 
for  " See  here! "  he  cried  roughly.  "  I  can  shoot  you, 

14 


I  can  leave  you,  or  I  can  take  you.  There  is  no 
other  way.  What  do  you  say?" 

"Go  on,"  I  said.    And  then,  "Wait!" 

"What  now?"  he  growled,  suspicious,  I  think,  of 
my  firmness. 

"His  address  is  on  him,"  I  said,  nodding  towards 
Simms.  "He  wanted  his  wife  to  know,  if  he  did  not 
come  off.  It's  in  his  hat.  I  must  take  it." 

He  stared  at  me.  For  a  moment  I  thought  that 
he  was  going  to  refuse  to  do  what  I  asked.  Then 
he  went  and  picked  up  Simms'  hat  and  from  a  slit 
in  the  looped  side  he  drew  a  thin  packet  of  letters. 
"Are  you  satisfied  now?"  he  said,  as  he  handed  the 
packet  to  me. 

"  That's  it,"  I  said.    "  Thank  you." 

"I  thought  you  held  that  lot  were  only  food  for 
the  triangles,"  he  muttered.  "  Well,  live  and  learn, 
and  the  last  knows  most!  Now,  forward  it  is,  sir, 
and  within  five  miles  I'll  have  you  under  cover. 
All  the  same  there's  a  plaguy  bottom  to  cross  that 
will  give  us  trouble,  or  I  am  no  prophet!" 

I  was  soon  to  learn  what  he  meant.  For  a  cer 
tain  distance,  riding  where  it  was  level  through  open 
park-like  land,  that  closed  here  and  there  into  forest, 
the  going  was  good  and  the  pain  was  bearable, 
though  the  thought  that  at  any  moment  the  horse 
might  stumble  chilled  me  with  apprehension.  But 

15 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

after  a  while  we  sank  into  a  shallow  valley,  where 
the  air  was  darkened  by  cypress  trees  and  poisoned 
by  their  yew-like  odor.  And  presently,  threading 
the  swamp  that  filled  the  bottom,  there  appeared  a 
rivulet.  It  crossed  our  path,  and  my  heart  sank 
into  my  boots. 

"Stay  here,"  the  man  said  shortly;  and  he  left  me 
and  rode  up  and  down,  hunting  for  a  crossing,  while 
I  followed  him  with  scared  eyes.  At  length  he 
found  what  he  wanted  and  he  signed  to  me  to  join 
him.  "Give  me  your  rein/'  he  said,  "and  hold  on 
with  all  the  strength  you  have!  It's  neck  or 
nothing!" 

We  did  it.  But  the  muscles  of  the  crushed 
shoulder  and,  in  a  less  degree,  the  broken  arm  gave 
me  exquisite  pain,  and  I  had  to  pause  awhile  on  the 
other  side  of  the  water,  crouching  on  the  neck  of  my 
horse.  When  I  had  recovered,  we  went  on  and 
climbed  out  of  the  bottom  and  in  another  half  mile 
as  the  light  began  to  fail,  we  struck  into  a  rough 
road. 

We  rode  along  it  side  by  side,  and  he  looked  me 
over.  "Major,  ain't  you?"  he  said  by  and  by. 

I  admitted  it. 

"Only  came  in  yesterday,  did  you?" 

"That's  so,"  I  said.     "How  did  you  know?" 

"Ah!"  he  said.  "That's  telling.  But  you  may 
16 


UNDER    KING'S    MOUNTAIN 

take  it  from  me,  there's  little  we  don't  know.    Ever 
been  taken  before,  Major?" 

In  pain  as  I  was  I  wondered  what  imp  of  mischief 
had  suggested  the  question.  "If  you  must  know," 
I  said  reluctantly,  "  I  was  taken  at  Saratoga." 

"  And  exchanged  ?  " 

"Yes,"  I  said. 

He  chuckled.  "Jerusalem!"  he  said.  "You  take 
it  as  easily  as  a  snake  takes  skinning!  Got  a  gift 
for  it  seemingly!  But  you  escaped  better  last  time 
than  this,  I  guess?" 

"Yes,"  I  said  grudgingly  —  why  should  I  explain? 
And  luckily  at  that  moment  a  light  showed  a  little 
way  before  us,  and  relieved  me  from  farther  ques 
tioning.  The  forest  gave  place  to  two  or  three  ragged 
fields,  divided  by  snake-fences;  and  beyond  these, 
where  our  road  crossed  another,  appeared  a  small 
log-house,  backed  by  some  straggling  out-buildings. 
If  appearances  went  for  anything  it  was  a  tavern  or 
a  smithy.  ^The  light  shone  from  a  window  of  the 
house. 

As  we  rode  up  to  the  door  two  or  three  dogs 
heard  us  and  gave  the  alarm.  The  result  was  not 
promising.  The  light  went  out. 

My  companion  swung  his  foot  clear  of  the  stirrup, 
and  kicked  the  door.  "House!"  he  cried.  "House! 
Barter!" 

17 


MADAM    CONSTA.NTIA 

There  was  no  answer. 

"House!"  he  cried  again.     "It's  I!    Wilmer!" 

A  window  creaked.  "Is  that  you,  Captain?"  a 
thin  quavering  voice  asked. 

"Who  should  it  be?"  my  companion  answered. 
"Don't  be  a  fool!  I  want  you." 

A  bar  was  removed  —  not  very  quickly  —  and 
the  door  was  opened.  By  such  firelight  as  issued 
from  the  room  I  saw  an  old  man  standing  in  the 
doorway,  and  behind  him  three  or  four  white-faced 
women.  He  nursed  a  gun  which  he  had  barely  the 
strength  to  level,  and  which  he  made  haste  to  lower 
as  soon  as  he  had  taken  a  look  at  us.  "Lord-a- 
mercy,  Cap'en,  what  a  gunning  there's  been,"  he 
piped,  peering  up  at  us,  all  of  a  tremble.  "We've 
been  sweating  here  for  hours,  not  knowing  what 
moment  the  Tories  and  redcoats  might  be  on  us! 
Lord-a-mercy!  Might  ha'  been  the  last  day  by  the 
sound  of  it!" 

"Father,  let  the  Captain  tell  us,"  said  one  of  the 
women. 

"We've  beaten  them  soundly,"  my  companion 
answered  with  less  blatancy  than  I  expected.  He 
seemed,  indeed,  to  have  two  ways  of  talking,  and 
to  be  by  no  means  without  education  when  he 
pleased  to  show  it.  "In  a  month  or  less,"  he  con 
tinued,  "there'll  not  be  a  red-coat  this  side  of  the 

18 


Santee  High  Hills;  and  if  Marion  does  his  work 
as  well  below,  we  shall  be  in  Charles  Town  by 
Christmas!  We  shall  have  cleared  Carolina,  and 
you'll  have  no  more  need  to  sweat!  But  there,  I 
want  you  to  take  in  a  wounded  man,  Barter.  He's  a 
broken  arm,  and  a  shoulder  that,  I  expect,  will  give 
more  trouble  than  the  arm,  and  — " 

"He's  welcome!"  the  woman  broke  in  heartily. 
"He's  welcome  to  what  we've  got,  Captain,  and  the 
Tories  have  left  us!  Let  him  come  right  in!  Talk- 
ing's  poor  fare,  and  — " 

Her  voice  quavered  away  to  nothing,  she  left  the 
sentence  unfinished.  Before  I  had  grasped  what 
was  amiss,  or  understood  what  was  doing,  the  man 
and  the  women  had  crowded  back  into  the  house, 
the  lower  half  of  the  door  was  closed,  I  heard  a  bolt 
shot.  "No,  no!  you've  no  right  to  ask  us!"  the  old 
man  quavered.  "You've  no  right  to  ask  us,  Cap'en! 
He's  a  redcoat!  We'll  take  in  no  King's  man  and 
no  Tory!  Not  we!" 

"We  daren't,  Cap'en  Wilmer,"  the  woman  said. 
"If  we  did  the  boys  would  take  him  out,  and  hang 
him,  and,  as  likely  as  not,  burn  the  house  over  us ! 
It's  as  much  as  our  lives  are  worth  to  take  him  in!" 

"See  here,"  the  Captain  answered,  with  more 
patience  than  I  expected  —  it  was  clear  that  in 
spite  of  their  refusal  these  people  stood  in  awe  of 

19 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

him.  "See  here!  You  can  say  that  I  put  him 
here,  Barter." 

"And  if  you  were  here,  it  might  do!"  the  woman 
replied.  "May  be  so  and  may  be  not.  But  you're 
not  here,  Cap'en  Wilmer,  and  when  the  boys'  blood's 
up  they'll  not  listen  to  father  nor  to  me!  We're  a 
parcel  of  women,  and  you've  no  right  to  ask  it. 
They've  said,  and  you  know  it  as  well  as  I  do,  that 
they'll  burn  down  any  house  that  shelters  a  redcoat. 
We'll  not  take  him!"  she  continued  firmly,  "and 
small  kindness  to  him  if  we  did!  Phil  Levi  was  here 
last  Sunday  and  swore  till  he  was  black  in  the  face 
what  he'd  do  if  we  so  much  as  fodder'd  one  of 
them!  More  by  token,  Cap'en,  if  you  think  it's 
safe  —  why  do  you  not  take  him  in  at  the  Bluff?" 

"It's  a  mile  farther,"  Wilmer  said,  "and  there 
are  reasons." 

"And  we've  reasons,  too!"  the  woman  retorted 
sharply.  "I'd  not  lay  a  hand  on  him  myself  — 
God  forbid  I  should  —  but  I'll  not  shelter  him. 
Jake  is  out  with  Colonel  Marion  below  the  Forks, 
and  father  hasn't  strength  to  pull  a  trigger,  and 
we're  a  parcel  of  women  and'tisn't  fair  to  ask  us! 
'Tisn't  fair  to  ask  us,  and  we  all  alone!" 

Wilmer  swore  softly.  "D  —  n  Phil  Levi!"  he 
said.  "He's  a  brave  fellow  —  before  and  after! 
But  I  can't  say  that  I  saw  the  color  of  his  horse's 

20 


UNDER    KING'S    MOUNTAIN 

tail  to-day!"     He  sat  forward  in  his  saddle,  under- 
termined,  pondering. 

I  had  borne  up  pretty  well  so  far.  Pride  and  the 
habit  of  a  soldier's  life  had  supported  me  under  this 
man's  scrutiny.  I  had  told  myself  that  it  was  the 
chance  of  war;  that  I  was  fortunate  in  being  alive 
where  so  many  —  alas,  so  many!  —  who  had  sat  at 
table  with  me  a  few  hours  before,  had  fallen.  But, 
little  by  little,  pain  had  sapped  my  fortitude.  Every 
second  in  the  saddle  was  a  second  of  agony;  every 
moment  that  my  arm  hung  from  the  shoulder  was  a 
grinding  pang.  And  on  the  threshold  of  this  house, 
at  the  sound  of  the  women's  voices,  I  had  thought 
that  at  last  the  worst  was  over.  Here  I  had 
promised  myself  relief,  rest,  an  end.  The  dis 
appointment  was  the  sharper.  The  refusal  to  take 
me  in  seemed  to  be  fiendish,  heartless,  cruel.  At 
the  mere  thought  of  it,  of  the  barbarity  of  it,  self- 
pity  choked  me,  and  I  could  have  shed  tears.  "Let 
me  be,"  I  muttered.  "I  can  bear  no  more." 

"No,  I'md — d  if  I  do,"  Wilmer  answered  angrily. 
"I  had  a  reason  for  not  taking  you  to  my  place, 
Major,  but  needs  must  when  the  devil  drives, 
and  it's  there  you  are  bound  to  go.  We  must  make 
the  best  of  it."  He  took  my  rein.  "It's  a  long 
way  to  Salem,"  he  continued,  "but  it's  the  last  mile. 
Hold  up!  man,  and  maybe  you'll  see  King  George 

21 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

yet.  He  certainly  ought  to  be  obliged  to  you," 
he  added  with  a  dry  laugh.  He  kicked  up  his 
horse. 

I  moved  away  with  him,  biting  off  the  prayer 
that  rose  to  my  lips  that  he  would  let  me  be.  I 
had  no  other  thought  now  but  to  persist,  to  bear, 
to  keep  the  saddle;  and  the  croak  of  the  frogs,  the 
plaintive  notes  of  the  mocking  bird  in  the  thicket, 
the  change  from  clearing  to  forest  and  again  from 
forest  to  open  fields  —  the  open  fields  of  a  consider 
able  plantation  —  all  passed  as  the  scenes  pass 
in  a  nightmare;  now  whelming  me  in  despair, 
as  the  blackness  of  the  trees  closed  about  us,  now 
lifting  me  to  hope  as  lights  broke  out,  twinkling 
before  us.  Poor  Ferguson,  the  fight,  Simms,  my 
fall,  all  receded  to  an  infinite  distance;  and  only 
one  thing,  only  one  thought,  one  aspiration  re 
mained  —  the  craving  to  rest,  to  lie  down,  to  come 
to  the  end  of  pain.  My  shoulder  was  on  fire;  my 
arm  was  red-hot  iron.  One  moment  I  burned  with 
fever;  the  next  I  turned  cold  and  faint  and  sick. 

Only  a  mile!  But  from  Newgate  to  Tyburn  is 
only  a  mile,  yet  how  much  lies  between  them  for 
the  wretch  condemned  to  suffer  on  the  gallows. 

At  last  I  was  aware  that  my  companion  had 
alighted  —  perhaps  he  had  done  so  more  than  once 
—  to  pull  down  a  sliprail.  This  time,  whether  it 

22 


UNDER    KING'S    MOUNTAIN 

was  the  last,  or  the  only  time,  the  rattle  of  the  timber 
provoked  an  outburst  of  barking,  and  presently, 
amid  the  baying  of  dogs,  a  nigger's  voice  called  out 
to  know  who  was  there.  The  alarm  once  given  — 
and  the  hounds  gave  it  pretty  loudly  —  other 
voices  joined  in,  in  tones  of  alarm  as  well  as  joy. 
Lights  glanced  here  and  there;  in  a  twinkling  there 
were  people  about  us.  Black  faces  and  white  eye 
balls  appeared  for  an  instant  and  sank  into  shadow. 
We  halted  before  the  porch  of  a  long  wooden  house, 
that  declared  itself,  here  plainly  and  there  dimly,  as 
the  lights  fell  upon  it. 

I  could  only  endure.  But  surely  the  end  was 
come  now!  Surely  there  would  be  rest  for  me  here. 
They  would  come  to  me,  they  would  do  something 
for  me  presently. 

Wilmer  had  gone  up  on  the  porch,  and  there  was 
a  woman  —  a  woman  in  white  with  her  arms  about 
his  neck. T  He  was  soothing  her  and  she  was  laugh 
ing  and  crying  at  once;  and  about  them  and  about 
me  —  who  sat  in  the  saddle  below,  in  the  dull 
lethargy  of  exhaustion  —  shone  a  ring  of  smiling, 
black  faces.  And  then  —  here  was  something  new, 
something  startling  and  alarming  —  the  woman  was 
looking  down  at  me,  and  speaking  quickly  and 
sharply;  speaking  almost  as  those  other  women 
had  spoken  at  Barter's.  She  was  pointing  at  me. 

23, 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

And  the  niggers  were  no  longer  laughing  but  starkig, 
all  staring  at  me.  I  gathered  that  they  were  fright 
ened. 

It  could  not  be  that  there  was  no  rest  for  me  here? 
It  could  not  be  that  they  would  not  take  me  in 
here!  Oh,  it  was  impossible,  it  was  inhuman,  it  was 
devilish!  But  I  began  to  tremble.  "Anywhere, 
anywhere  but  here!"  the  woman  was  saying. 
"It  is  madness  to  think  of  it.  You  know  that, 
father!  Why  did  you  bring  him  here?  When  you 
knew!  When  you  knew,  father!" 

"In  the  cabins,  honey,  if  you  like,"  the  man 
answered  patiently.  "But  he'll  not  be  safe  out  of 
our  sight." 

She  flared  up.  She  poured  out  her  anger  upon 
him.  "Safe!"  she  cried.  "And  what  of  you? 
Where  will  you  be  safe?  And  what  is  it  to  me  if 
he  be  not  safe?  Don't  do  it,  father,  don't,"  she 
continued,  her  voice  sinking  to  a  note  of  entreaty. 
"Don't  bring  him  here!  It  will  end  ill!  You  will 
see,  it  will  end  ill!  Let  him  go  to  Barter's." 

"We've  been  to  Barter's  — " 

"And  he  won't  take  him!  No!  he's  more  sense, 
though  the  risk  to  him  is  small.  But  you, 
think  how  the  day  has  gone,  and  left  you  safe 
and  well!  And  now,  now  at  the  end,  you  will 
spoil  all!' 

24 


UNDER    KING'S    MOUNTAIN 

"Let  be,  Con,"  the  man  struck  in,  speaking  with 
decision.  "He  must  come  in.  There's  nothing  else 
for  it.  We're  not  Cherokees,  nor  savages.  There's 
nothing  else  that  can  be  done.  You  must  put  up 
with  it,  and  —  " 

In  a  twinkling  she  was  at  the  foot  of  the  steps 
and  at  my  rein  —  a  girl,  young,  slender,  dark  and 
fiercely  excited.  "If  you  are  a  man,"  she  cried, 
seizing  my  arm,  "if  you  are  a  gentleman,  you'll 
not  come  here!  Do  you  hear,  sir!  There  are 
reasons,  a  thousand  reasons  why  we  cannot  take 
you  in.  And  more  — " 

On  that  word  she  stopped.  A  change  came  over 
her  face  as  she  looked  into  mine.  The  only  answer 
I  could  give  her  —  she  had  gripped  my  wounded  arm 
and  I  could  bear  no  more  —  was  to  faint  away.  As 
the  man  had  said,  I  was  in  sore  need  of  a  sup  of 
Kentucky  whisky. 


25 


CHAPTER  m 

MADAM  CONSTANTIA 

/  see  how  she  doth  wry, 
When  I  begin  to  moan; 

I  see  when  I  come  nigh, 
How  fain  she  would  be  gone. 

I  see  —  what  will  ye  more? 
She  will  me  gladly  kill: 

And  you  shall  see  therefore 
That  she  shall  have  her  will 

ANON. 

When  I  came  to  myself  I  was,  by  comparison,  in 
a  haven  of  comfort.  I  was  in  a  clean  bed,  in  a 
clean  room,  I  was  wearing  a  shirt  that  was  also 
clean  and  was  certainly  not  my  own.  A  negro 
woman  with  a  yellow  kerchief  bound  about  her 
head  was  holding  a  lamp,  while  a  colored  man  who 
was  bending  over  me,  contrived  a  cage  to  lift  the 
coverlet  clear  of  my  shoulder  and  arm.  The  room 
was  small,  with  boarded  walls,  and  the  furniture  was 
of  plain  wood  and  roughly  made,  of  the  kind  that  is 
found  in  the  smaller  plantations  of  this  upper  coun 
try.  But  my  eye  alighted  on  a  framed  sampler 
hung  between  two  prints  above  the  bedhead;  and 
this  and  one  or  two  handsome  mahogany  pieces 

26 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

told  a  story  of  changes  and  journeys,  which  these, 
the  cherished  relics  of  an  older  house,  perhaps  in  the 
Tidewater,  had  survived. 

I  noted  these  things  dreamily,  blissfully,  resting 
in  a  haven  of  ease.  Presently  the  man  stood  back 
to  admire  his  work,  and  the  woman,  turning  to 
glance  at  my  face,  saw  that  my  eyes  were  open. 
She  set  down  the  lamp  and  fetching  a  cup  held  it 
to  my  lips.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  it  held 
milk-punch;  but  for  me  it  held  nectar,  and  I  drank 
greedily  and  as  long  as  she  would  let  me.  What 
ever  it  was,  the  draught  cleared  my  mind;  and 
when  the  man  turned  to  the  table  and  began  to 
occupy  himself  with  rolling  up  a  monstrous  length 
of  bandage,  I  saw  the  woman  sign  to  him.  They 
looked  towards  the  door,  and  I  became  aware  of  the 
voices  of  two  people  who  were  talking  in  an  outer 
room.  The  speakers  were  the  two  who  had  debated 
my  fate  before,  while  I  hung,  worn  out,  over  my 
horse's  neck;  and  the  question  between  them  was 
apparently  the  same. 

"But  I  can't  see  it,  father!"  the  girl  was  saying, 
repeating  it  as  if  she  had  said  it  half  a  dozen 
times  before.  "I  can't  see  it.  What  is  he  to  us? 
Why  should  we  do  it?  Think  of  my  mother! 
Think  of  Dick!  Haven't  I  heard  you  say  a  hun 
dred  times — " 

27 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"And  a  hundred  to  that!  I  admit  it,  Con,"  the 
man  answered,  "I  have.  But  there  was  something 
about  this  fellow  if  you'll  believe  me  — " 

"About  him!"  she  retorted,  blazing  up.  "A 
weakling!  A  milksop!  A  poor  thing  who  swoons 
under  a  minute's  pain!  " 

"But  if  you  had  seen  him  pick  the  man  up?"  he 
pleaded.  "It  was  that  that  took  me,  honey.  It 
ran  right  athwart  of  all  that  I  had  heard  of  his  like, 
and  had  seen  of  some  of  them!  It  was  the  devil  of 
a  mellay  I  can  tell  you!  Of  five  who  made  off  to 
gether  after  Ferguson  was  down  he  was  the  only 
one  who  fought  his  way  through;  and  we  were  after 
him  whip  and  spur.  He  was  all  but  clear  of  us, 
when  there  came  the  other  man  running  through 
the  bush  and  calling  to  him,  calling  to  him  to  take 
him  up  for  God's  sake!  For  God's  sake!  He 
stopped,  Con!  And  I  can  tell  you  that  to  stop 
with  the  muzzles  of  our  Deckhards  between  his 
shoulderblades  and  not  forty  yards  off  — " 

"Who  wouldn't  have?"  she  retorted  scornfully. 
"Is  there  a  man  that  wouldn't  have  stopped?  Is 
there  a  man  who  calls  himself  a  man  who  could 
ride  away  —  " 

"Well,  I  fancy,"  he  replied  dryly,  "I  could  put 
my  hand  on  one  or  two,  Con.  I  fancy  I  could." 

"And  because  he  did  that,"  she  continued  stub- 
28 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

bornly,  "because  he  remembered,  for  just  that  one 
moment,  that  he  and  the  men  whom  he  hires  to  fight 
his  battles  were  of  the  same  flesh  and  blood  as  him 
self,  you  do  this  foolish,  this  mad,  mad  thing!  To 
bring  him  here,  father !  To  bring  him  to  the  Bluff 
of  all  places !  Why,  if  it  were  only  that  I  am  alone 
—  alone  here  — " 

"There's  Aunt  Lyddy." 

"And  what  is  she?  —  it  would  be  reason  enough 
against  it !  But  to  be  left  here,"  the  girl  continued 
angrily  —  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  she  was  pacing 
the  room  —  "alone  for  days  together  with  this  in 
solent  Englishman  who  looks  down  on  us,  who 
calls  us  colonials  and  mohairs,  and  thinks  us  hon 
ored  if  he  doesn't  plunder  us  —  and  if  he  plunders 
us,  what  are  we  but  rebels?  Who  will  hardly 
stoop  to  be  civil  even  to  the  men  who  are  risking 
their  all  and  betraying  Carolina  in  his  cause !  Oh ! 
it  is  too  much!" 

"He's  not  the  worst  of  them  at  any  rate,"  Wil- 
mer  replied  with  good  humor.  "Sit  down,  girl. 
And  as  to  your  being  left  with  him,  I  don't 
know  any  one  more  able  to  take  care  of  herself !  If 
that  be  all—" 

"But  it's  not  all ! "  she  cried.  " It's  not  a  quarter ! 
If  that  were  all  I'd  not  say  a  word!  But  it's  not 
that,  you  know  it  is  not  that !" 

29 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"I  know  it's  not,  honey!"  he  said  in  a  different 
tone  —  and  I  wondered  to  hear  him,  so  gentle  was 
his  voice.  "I  know  it's  not." 

"If  you  were  away  altogether  it  would  be  dif 
ferent!  If  you  kept  away  — 

"But  I  can't  keep  away,"  he  answered  mildly. 
"I  must  come  and  go.  I  can't  let  the  plantation 
go  to  ruin.  Times  are  bad  enough  and  hard  enough 

—  we  may  be  burnt  out  any  night.     But  until  the 
worst  comes  I  must  keep  things  together,  Con,  you 
know  that.    It's  fortunate  that  we're  above  King's 
Mountain.    After  this  Tarleton  and  his  Greens  — 
d — n  the  fellow,  I  wish  he  had  been  there  to-day 

—  will  spread  over  the  south  side  like  a  swarm  of 
wasps  flocking  to  the  honey-pot.     But  they'll  be 
shy  of  pushing  as  far  north  of  Winsboro'  as  this 

—  we're  too  strong  hereabouts.     For  the  English 
man  I'd  send  him  to  the  cabins  at  once,  but  he 
wouldn't  be  safe  from  our  folks  outside  the  house." 

She  spoke  up  suddenly  r  "If  they  come  for  him," 
she  cried,  "I  warn  you,  father,  I  shall  not  raise  a 
finger  to  save  him!" 

"Pooh!  pooh!" 

"I  vow  I  will  not!    So  now  you  know!" 

"Well,  I  don't  think  that  they'll  come,"  he  re 
plied  lightly.  "They  know  me,  and  — " 

"To  shelter  a  Britisher!" 
30 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

"I've  sheltered  worse  men,"  he  responded  reason 
ably. 

"At  least  you've  had  warning!"  she  retorted  — 
and  I  heard  the  legs  of  a  chair  grate  on  the  floor  of 
the  outer  room.  "If  I  have  to  choose,  your  little 
finger  is  more  to  me  than  the  lives  of  twenty  such  as 
he!" 

"Unfortunately,"  he  answered  dryly,  "it's  not  my 
little  finger,  my  dear,  that's  in  peril!  It's  my  — " 

"Father!"  she  cried,  pain  in  her  voice.  "How 
can  you !  How  can  you ! ' ' 

"There,  there,"  he  said,  soothing  her,  "a  man  can 
but  die  once,  and  how  he  dies  does  not  matter  much! 
Courage,  Con,  courage,  girl!  Many  is  the  awkward 
corner  I  have  been  in,  as  you  know,  and  I've  got 
out  of  it.  You  may  be  sure  I  shall  take  all  the  care 
I  can." 

"But  you  don't!"  she  retorted.  "You  don't! 
Or  you  would  never  let  this  man — "  I  lost  the  rest 
in  the  movement  of  a  second  chair. 

For  some  minutes  the  two  blacks  had  made 
hardly  a  pretence  of  attending  to  me.  They  had 
listened  with  all  their  ears.  Once  or  twice  when 
what  was  said  had  touched  me  nearly  they  had 
goggled  their  eyes  at  me  between  wonder  and  amaze 
ment.  And  I,  too,  wondered.  I,  too,  saw  that 
here  was  something  that  needed  explanation.  Why 

31 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

should  this  girl,  scarcely  out  of  her  teens  —  I 
judged  her  to  be  no  more  that  twenty  —  feel  so 
strongly,  so  cruelly,  so  inhumanly?  Why  should 
she  show  herself  so  hard,  so  unnatural,  where  even 
her  father  betrayed  the  touch  of  nature  that  makes 
us  all  akin?  This  was  a  question,  but  it  was  one 
that  I  must  consider  to-morrow.  For  the  present  I 
was  too  comfortable,  too  drowsy,  too  weary.  Sleep 
pressed  on  me  irresistibly  —  the  blessed  sleep  of  the 
exhausted,  of  the  wounded,  of  the  broken,  who  are 
at  last  at  rest!  The  room  grew  hazy,  the  light  a 
dim  halo.  And  yet  before  I  slept  I  had  a  last  im 
pression  of  the  things  about  me. 

The  girl  came  to  the  open  door  and  stood  on  the 
threshold,  gazing  down  at  me.  She  was  tall,  slen 
der,  dark,  and  very  handsome.  She  looked  at  me 
in  silence  for  a  long  time,  and  with  such  a  look  and 
such  a  curiosity  as  one  might  turn  on  a  crushed 
thing  lying  beside  the  road.  It  hurt  me,  but  not 
for  long. 

For  I  slept,  and  dreamt  of  the  Border  and  of 
home.  I  was  in  the  small  oak  parlor  at  Osgodby. 
There  was  no  fire  on  the  hearth,  it  was  summer  and 
the  bow-pots  were  full  of  roses.  The  windows  were 
open,  the  garden,  viewed  through  them,  simmered 
in  the  sunshine. 

My  mother  was  sitting  on  the  other  side  of  the 
32 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

empty  hearth,  fanning  herself  with  a  great  yellow 
fan,  and  we  were  both  looking  at  the  picture  of 
Henrietta  Craven  that  is  set  in  the  overmantel. 
"Ill  will  come  of  it,  ill  will  come  of  it,"  my  mother 
was  repeating  over  and  over  again.  And  then  I 
found  that  it  was  not  my  mother  who  was  saying  it 
but  the  portrait  over  the  fireplace;  and  —  which 
did  not  seem  to  surprise  me  at  the  time  —  it  was  no 
longer  the  portrait  of  Henrietta  Craven  in  her  yel 
low  sacque  that  spoke,  but  a  woman  in  white,  tall 
and  slender  and  dark  and  very  handsome. 

It  was  noon  when  I  awoke;  not  the  sultry  noon 
of  Charles  Town,  for  the  rains  had  come  and  the 
day  was  grey  and  cool.  I  was  alone,  in  the  pleasant 
stillness,  but  the  door  into  the  living  room  was  ajar, 
perhaps  that  I  might  be  heard  if  I  called.  Pigeons 
were  cooing  without,  and  not  far  away,  probably  on 
the  veranda,  some  one  was  crooning  in  tune  to  the 
pleasant  hum  of  a  spinning-wheel.  Sleep  had  made 
another  man  of  me.  My  head  was  clear,  I  was  free 
from  fever,  I  was  hungry;  such  pain  as  I  felt  was 
confined  to  the  shoulder  and  arm.  Yesterday  I  had 
come  near  to  envying  those  who  had  fallen  in  the  fight. 
To-day  I  was  myself  again,  glad  to  be  alive,  free  to 
hope,  ready  to  look  forward.  After  all,  things  might 
be  worse;  our  Headquarters  were  at  Charlotte, 

33 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

barely  thirty-five  miles  away,  and  if  my  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  moved  towards  King's  Mountain,  to  avenge 
Ferguson,  I  might  be  rescued.  If  he  did  not,  I 
must  contrive  to  be  sent,  as  soon  as  I  was  well 
enough  to  travel,  to  the  rebel  Headquarters  in  the 
northern  colony,  whence  I  might  be  exchanged.  I 
should  be  safe  there  —  I  was  not  safe  here.  I  must 
see  this  man  Wilmer  by  and  by  and  talk  to  him  about 
it.  He  had  shown  a  measure  of  humanity  and  some 
generosity,  mingled  with  his  dry  and  saturnine 
humor.  And  he  had  saved  my  life,  I  had  no  doubt 
of  that.  In  the  meantime  I  was  famished,  positively 
famished! 

I  called,  "Hi!  hi!" 

The  low  crooning  stopped,  the  hum  of  the  spin 
ning-wheel  ceased.  The  negro  woman  who  had  held 
the  lamp  appeared  in  the  doorway.  "How  you 
find  yo'self  dis  mawning?"  she  asked.  And  then  in 
a  lingo  which  at  this  distance  of  time  I  do  not  pre 
tend  to  reproduce  correctly,  she  asked  me  what  I 
would  take  to  eat. 

"There's  nothing  I  could  not  eat,"  I  said. 

She  showed  her  teeth  in  a  wide  smile.  "Marse 
mighty  big  man,  dis  mawning,"  she  answered.  "He 
sorter  lam-like  yistiddy.  He  mo'  like  one  er  de 
chilluns  yistiddy.  Wat  you  gwine  ter  eat?" 

"Breakfast  first!"  I  said.  "Some  tea,  please  — " 
34 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

She  shook  her  head  violently.  "Hole  on  dar," 
she  said.  "I  'ear  Ma'am  Constantia  say  der  ain't 
no  tea  fer  Britishers!  De  last  drap  er  dat  tea  bin 
gone  sunk  in  Cooper  River!" 

"Oh!"  I  replied,  a  good  deal  taken  aback.  Con 
found  Madam  Constantia's  impudence!  "Then  I 
will  have  what  you  will  give  me.  Only  let  me  have 
it  soon." 

"Marse  mighty  big  man  dis  mawning,"  the 
woman  said  mischievously.  "He'low  he'll  eat  de 
last  mossel  der  is.  Yis'dy  he  mo'  like  one  er  de 
chilluns." 

Well,  I  had  the  last  morsel  —  without  tea;  while 
Mammy  Jacks  stood  over  me  with  her  yellow  ker 
chief  and  her  good-natured  grinning  black  face. 
"Who's  Madam  Constantia?"  I  asked  after  a  time. 

"W'at  I  tole  you,"  the  woman  replied  with  dig 
nity,  "She,  Ma'am  Constantia  ter  cullud  folks. 
She,  missie  ter  me." 

"  The  young  lady  I  saw  yesterday,  is  she?" 

"Tooby  sho'." 

"She  is  Captain  Wilmer's  daughter,  I  suppose?" 

"Dat's  w'at  I  laid  out  fer  to  tell  you." 

I  did  not  want  to  seem  curious  or  I  should  have 
asked  if  "Madam"  was  married.  I  refrained  out 
of  prudence.  I  went  on  eating  and  Mammy  Jacks 
went  on  looking  at  me,  and  presently,  "I  speck 

35 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

you  monstrous  bad,  cruel  man,"  she  said  with 
unction.  "  I  hear  Ma'am  Constantia  say  you  make 
smart  heap  uv  trubble  fer  cullud  folks,  en  tote  em 
to  'Badoes  en  Antigo!  She  say  you  drefful  ar'ogant 
insolent  Englishman!  You  too  bad  ter  live,  F  low." 

"And  Madam  Constantia  told  you  to  tell  me 
that?" 

The  woman's  start  and  her  look  of  alarm  answered 
me.  Before  she  could  put  in  a  protest,  however, 
the  negro  who  had  been  with  her  the  previous  even 
ing  appeared  and  relieved  her  from  the  difficulty. 
He  came  to  attend  to  my  arm,  and  did  his  work  with 
a  skill  that  would  not  have  disgraced  a  passed  sur 
geon.  While  he  was  going  about  the  business,  I  was 
aware  of  a  slender  shadow  on  the  threshold,  the 
shadow  of  some  one  who  listened,  yet  did  not  wish 
to  be  seen.  "Confound  her!"  I  thought.  "The 
jade!  I  believe  that  she  is  there  to  hear  me  whim 
per!"  And  I  set  my  teeth  —  she  had  called  me  a 
milksop,  had  she?  —  well,  she  should  not  hear  me 
cry  again.  The  shadow  lay  on  the  threshold  a 
short  minute,  then  it  vanished.  But  more  than 
once  on  that  day  and  the  two  following  days  I  was 
aware  of  it.  It  was  all  I  saw  of  the  girl;  and  though 
I  knew,  and  had  the  best  of  grounds  for  knowing 
her  sentiments  respecting  me,  I  confess  that  this 
steady  avoidance  of  me  —  lonely  and  in  pain  as  I 

36 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

was,  and  her  guest  —  hurt  me  more  than  was  reason 
able. 

As  for  Wilmer  he  was  gone,  without  beat  of  drum, 
and  without  seeing  me;  and  save  Mammy  Jacks 
and  the  nigger,  Tom,  no  one  came  near  me  except 
Aunt  Lyddy,  and  she  came  only  once.  She  was  a 
little  old  lady,  deaf  and  smiling,  who  labored  un 
der  the  belief  that  I  had  met  with  my  injuries  in 
fighting  against  the  French.  She  was  quite  unable 
to  distinguish  this  war  from  the  old  French  war; 
when  she  thought  of  the  fighting  at  all,  she  thought 
of  it  as  in  progress  in  Canada  or  Louisiana,  under 
the  leadership  of  Braddock  and  Forbes  and  Wolfe. 
The  taking  of  Quebec  was  to  her  an  event  of  yester 
day,  and  I  might  have  drunk  all  the  tea  in  the 
world,  and  she  would  not  have  objected.  Such 
was  Aunt  Lyddy;  and  even,  such  as  she  was,  I 
wondered  with  bitterness,  that  she  was  allowed  to 
visit  me. 

Yet  when  I  came  to  think  more  calmly,  the  posi 
tion  surprised  me  less.  It  was  in  the  nature  of  this 
war  to  create  a  rancour  which  bred  cruel  deeds,  and 
these  again  produced  reprisals.  After  the  capture 
of  Charles  Town  in  May  and  the  subsequent  defeat 
of  Gates,  the  country  had  apparently  returned  to 
its  allegiance.  The  King's  friends  had  raised  their 
heads.  The  waverers  had  declared  themselves,  op- 

37 

449775 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

position  in  the  field  had  ceased.  If  one  thing  had 
seemed  more  certain  than  another  it  was  that  my 
Lord  Cornwallis's  base  in  the  southern  province  was 
secure,  and  that  he  might  now  devote  himself,  with 
out  a  backward  glance,  to  the  conquest  of  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia. 

Then  in  a  month,  in  a  week,  almost  in  a  day  had 
come  a  change.  God  knows  whether  it  was  the 
result  of  mismanagement  on  our  part,  or  of  some 
ill-judged  severity;  or,  as  many  now  think,  of  the 
lack  of  civil  government,  a  lack  ill-borne  by  a  people 
of  our  race.  At  any  rate  the  change  came.  In  a 
week  secret  midnight  war  flamed  up  everywhere. 
In  a  month  the  whole  province  was  on  fire.  Par 
tisans  came  together  and  attacked  their  neighbors, 
rebels  took  loyalists  by  the  throat,  burned  their 
houses,  harried  their  plantations,  and  in  turn 
suffered  the  same  things.  By  day  the  King's  writ 
ran;  at  first  it  was  the  exception  for  these  irregulars 
to  meet  us  in  the  field.  But  by  night-attacks,  by 
ambuscades,  by  besetting  every  ford  and  every 
ferry,  they  cut  our  communications,  starved  our 
posts  and  killed  our  messengers.  For  a  time  the 
royalists  showed  themselves  as  active.  They,  too, 
came  together,  formed  bands,  burned  and  harried. 
Presently  the  father  was  in  one  camp,  the  son  in 
the  other;  neighbor  fought  with  neighbor,  old 

38 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

feuds  were  revived,  old  friendships  were  broken; 
and  this  it  was  that  gave  to  this  blind,  bloody  war 
fare,  in  the  woods,  in  the  morasses,  in  the  cane- 
brakes,  its  savage  character. 

As  quickly  as  General  Gates's  reputation  had  been 
lost,  reputations  were  won.  Marion,  issuing  from 
the  swamps  of  the  Pee  Dee  carried  alarm  to  the 
gates  of  Charles  Town.  Sumter  made  his  name  a 
terror  through  all  the  country  between  the  Broad 
and  the  Catawba  Rivers.  Colonel  Campbell  on  the 
Watauga,  Davy  on  the  North  Carolina  border  flung 
the  fiery  torch  far  and  wide.  It  was  all  that  Tar- 
leton  and  his  British  Legion,  the  best  force  for 
this  light  work  that  we  possessed,  and  Ferguson 
and  his  Provincials,  now  a  shattered  body  —  it  was 
all  that  these  could  do  to  make  head  against  the 
rebels  or  maintain  the  spirits  of  our  party. 

There  were  humane  men,  thank  God,  in  both 
camps.  But  there  were  also  men  whom  the  memory 
of  old  wrongs  wrought  to  madness.  Cruel  things 
were  done.  Quarter  was  refused,  men  were  hung 
after  capture,  houses  were  burnt,  women  were  made 
homeless.  Therefore,  no  bitterness  of  feeling,  no 
animosity,  on  one  side  or  the  other,  was  much  of  a 
surprise  to  me;  rather  I  was  prepared  for  it.  But 
as  the  soldier  by  profession  is  the  last,  I  hope,  to 
resort  to  these  practices,  so  is  he  the  most  sorely 

39 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

hurt  by  them.  And  we,  as  I  have  said,  had  another 
grievance.  Not  only  were  we  at  a  loss  in  this 
irregular  fighting,  but  we  had  held  our  heads  too 
high  in  the  last  war.  We  had  looked  down  —  the 
worst  of  us  —  on  the  Colonial  officers.  And  now 
this  was  remembered  against  us.  We  were  at  once 
blamed  and  derided;  our  drill,  our  discipline,  our 
service  were  turned  to  ridicule.  Nor  was  this  shrew 
of  a  girl  the  first  who  had  scoffed  at  our  courage 
and  made  us  the  subject  of  her  scorn. 

Yet,  though  I  understood  her  feelings,  I  was  hurt. 
When  a  man  is  laid  aside  by  illness  or  by  an  injury, 
something  of  the  woman  awakes  in  him,  and  he  is 
wounded  by  trifles  which  would  not  touch  him  at 
another  time.  With  Wilmer  gone,  with  none  but 
black  faces  about  me,  with  no  certainty  of  safety,  I 
had  only  this  girl  to  whom  I  could  open  my  views 
or  impart  my  wishes.  And  enemy  as  she  was,  she 
was  a  woman  —  in  that  lay  much  of  my  grievance. 
She  was  a  woman,  and  the  notion  of  the  woman  as 
his  companion  and  comforter  in  sickness  and  pain  is 
so  deeply  inbred  in  a  man,  that  when  she  stands 
away  from  him  at  that  time,  it  seems  to  him  a  thing 
monstrous  and  unnatural. 

I  think  I  felt  her  aloofness  more  keenly  because, 
though  I  had  barely  seen  her  face,  I  was  beginning  to 
know  her.  The  living-room,  as  in  many  of  these 

40 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

remote  plantations,  occupied  the  middle  of  the 
house,  running  through  from  front  to  rear.  There 
was  no  second  story  and  all  the  other  chambers 
opened  on  this  side  or  that  of  this  middle  room 
which  served  also  for  a  passage.  The  business 
of  the  day  was  done  in  it,  or  on  the  veranda,  accord 
ing  to  the  season.  It  followed  that,  though  my 
door  was  now  kept  shut,  I  heard  her  voice  a  dozen, 
nay,  a  score  of  times  a-day.  In  the  morning  I 
heard  its  full  grave  tones,  mingling  with  the  hurly- 
burly  of  business,  giving  orders,  setting  tasks,  issu 
ing  laws  to  the  plantation;  later  in  the  day  I  heard 
it  lowered  to  the  pitch  of  the  afternoon  stillness 
and  the  cooing  of  the  innumerable  pigeons  that 
made  the  veranda  their  home. 

I  heard  her  most  clearly  when  she  raised  her 
voice  to  speak  to  Aunt  Lyddy;  and  aware  that 
there  is  hardly  a  call  upon  the  patience  more 
trying  than  that  made  by  deafness,  I  was  sur 
prised  by  the  kindness  and  self-control  of  one 
who  in  my  case  had  shown  herself  so  hard  and 
so  inhuman. 

"  Confound  her!"  I  thought  more  than  once — the 
hours  were  long  and  dull,  and  I  was  often  restless 
and  in  pain.  "I  wish  I  could  see  her,  if  it  were  only 
to  rid  myself  of  my  impression  of  her.  I  don't  sup 
pose  she  is  good-looking.  I  had  only  a  glimpse  of 

41 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

her,  and  I  was  light-headed.  When  a  man  is  in 
that  state  every  nurse  is  a  Venus." 

And  then,  on  the  fourth  day,  I  did  see  her.  I 
heard  some  one  approach  my  door  and  knock. 
I  thought  that  it  was  Mammy  Jacks  and  I  cried 
"  Come  in ! "  But  it  was  not  Mammy  Jacks.  It  was 
Madam  Constantia  at  last.  She  came  in,  and  stood 
a  little  within  the  doorway,  looking  down  —  not  at 
me  but  at  my  feet.  And  if  she  had  not  been  all 
that  I  had  fancied  her,  and  more,  I  might  have  had 
eyes  to  read  something  of  shame  in  her  face,  and 
in  the  stiffness  that  did  not  deign  to  leave  the  thresh 
old.  She  closed  the  door  behind  her.  She  closed 
it  with  care  it  seemed  to  me, 

"I  cannot  rise,"  I  said,  taking  careful  stock  of 
her,  "honored  as  I  am  by  your  visit.  Can  I  offer 
you  a  chair,  Miss  Wilmer?" 

"  I  do  not  need  one,"  she  replied.  She  was  labor 
ing,  I  could  see,  under  strong  emotion,  and  was  in 
no  mood  for  compliments.  She  was  in  white  as  I 
had  first  seen  her;  and  the  quiet  tones  which  I  had 
learned  to  associate  with  her,  agreed  perfectly  with 
the  small  head  set  on  the  neck  as  gracefully  as  a 
lily  on  the  stem,  with  the  wide  low  brow,  the  serious 
mouth,  the  firm  chin.  "  I  prefer  to  stand,"  she  con 
tinued  —  and  still  she  did  not  raise  her  eyes  —  I 
wondered  if  they  were  black  and  hoped  but  could 

42 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

hardly  believe  that  they  were  blue.  "I  shall  not 
keep  you  long,  sir." 

"You  are  not  keeping  me,"  I  answered  with  irony. 
"I  shall  be  here  when  you  are  gone,  I  fear,  Miss 
Wilmer." 

If  I  thought  to  work  upon  her  feelings  by  that, 
and  to  force  her  to  think  of  my  loneliness,  I  failed 
wofully.  "Not  for  long,"  she  replied.  "We  are 
arranging  to  send  you  to  Salisbury,  sir.  You  will 
doubtless  be  sufficiently  recovered  to  travel  by  to 
morrow.  You  will  be  safer  there  than  here,  and 
will  have  better  attendance  in  the  hospital." 

I  was  thunderstruck.  "To-morrow!"  I  echoed. 
"Travel?  But  — but  I  could  not!"  I  cried.  "I 
could  not,  Miss  Wilmer.  The  bones  of  my  arm 
have  not  knit!  You  know  what  your  roads  are,  and 
my  shoulder  is  still  painful,  horribly  painful." 

"I  am  sorry,  sir,  that  circumstances  render  it 
necessary." 

"But,  good  heavens!"  I  cried,  "You  don't,  you 
cannot  mean  it!" 

"The  man  who  put  your  arm  in  splints,"  she  re 
plied,  averting  her  eyes  from  me,  "will  see  that  you 
are  taken  in  a  litter  as  far  as  the  cross-roads.  I 
have  arranged  for  a  cart  to  meet  you  there  —  a  pal 
let  and  a — "  her  voice  tailed  off,  I  could  not  catch 
the  last  word.  "They  will  see  you  carefully  as  far 

43 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

as — "  again  she  muttered  a  name  so  low  that  I 
did  not  catch  it  —  "on  the  way  to  Salisbury.  Or 
to  Hillsborough  if  that  be  necessary." 

"Hillsborough?"  I  cried,  aghast.  "But  have  you 
reflected?  It  is  eighty  or  ninety  miles  to  Hills- 
borough!  Ninety  miles  of  rough  roads  —  where 
there  are  roads,  Madam!" 

"It's  not  a  matter  of  choice,"  she  replied  firmly 
—  but  I  fancied  that  she  turned  a  shade  paler. 
"And  it  may  not  be  necessary  to  go  beyond  Salis 
bury.  At  any  rate  the  matter  is  settled,  sir.  Cir 
cumstances  render  it  necessary." 

"But  it  is  impossible!"  I  urged.  "It  is  out  of 
the  question ! "  The  memory  of  my  ride  from  King's 
Mountain,  of  the  stream  I  had  had  to  cross,  was  too 
sharp,  too  recent  to  permit  me  to  entertain  de 
lusions.  "The  pain  I  suffered  coming  here — " 

"Pain!"  she  cried,  letting  herself  go  at  that. 
"What  is  a  little  pain,  sir,  in  these  days,  when  things 
so  much  worse,  things  unspeakable  are  being  suf 
fered  —  are  being  done  and  suffered  every  day  ? 
Our  men  whom  you  delivered  to  the  Indians  at 
Augusta,  did  they  not  suffer  pain?  " 

"It  was  an  abominable  thing!"  I  said,  aghast 
at  her  attitude.  "But  I  did  not  do  it,  God  for 
bid!  I  detest  the  thought  of  it,  Miss  Wilmer! 
And  you,  you  do  not  mean  that  you  would  be  as 

44 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

cruel  as  those — "  I  stopped.     I  let  her  imagine  the 
rest.    I  held  her  with  indignant  eyes. 

"I  am  doing  the  best  I  can,"  she  said  sullenly. 
But  I  saw  that  she  was  ashamed  of  her  proposal  even 
while  she  persisted  in  it;  and  I  grew  stronger  in  my 
resolve. 

"I  am  helpless,"  I  said.  "Your  father  can  do 
what  he  pleases,  I  am  in  his  hands.  But  even  he  is 
bound  by  the  laws  of  humanity,  which  he  obeyed 
when  he  spared  me.  I  cannot  think  that  he  did 
that,  I  cannot  think  that  he  behaved  to  me  as  one 
soldier  to  ano'her  in  order  to  put  me  to  torture! 
If  he  tells  me  I  must  go,  I  must  go,  I  have  no 
remedy.  But  until  he  does,  I  will  never  believe 
that  it  is  his  wish!" 

"You  will  force  yourself  on  us?"  she  cried,  her 
voice  quivering.  "On  us,  two  women  as  we  are, 
and  alone?" 

I  pointed  to  my  shoulder.  "I  am  not  very  dan 
gerous,"  I  said. 

"I  do  not  think  you  are,  sir,  or  ever  were,"  she 
retorted  with  venom.  And  now  for  the  first  time 
she  met  my  look,  her  eyes  sparkling  with  anger. 
"As  one  soldier  to  another !"  she  said.  "It  is  mar 
vellous  that  you  should  recognize  him  as  a  soldier! 
But  I  suppose  that  the  habit  of  surrender  is  an 
education  in  many  ways." 

45 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"Any  one  may  insult  a  prisoner,"  I  said.  And  I 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  blood  burn  in  her 
face.  "But  you  did  not  come  here  to  tell  me  that, 
Miss  Wilmer." 

"No,"  she  answered.  "I  came  here  to  tell  you 
that  you  must  go.  You  must  go,  sir." 

"When  your  father  sends  me  away,"  I  said,  "I 
must  needs  go.  Until  he  does  — " 

"You  will  not?" 

"No,  Miss  Wilmer,  by  your  leave,  I  will  not,"  I 
said  with  all  the  firmness  of  which  I  was  capable. 
"Unless  I  am  taken  by  force.  And  you  are  a 
woman.  You  will  not  be  so  untrue  to  yourself  and 
to  your  sex  as  to  use  force  to  one,  crippled  as  I  am, 
and  helpless  as  I  am.  Think!  If  your  dogs  broke 
a  raccoon's  leg,  would  you  drag  it  a  mile  —  two 
miles?" 

The  color  ebbed  from  her  face,  and  she  shuddered 
—  she  who  was  proposing  this!  She  shuddered  at 
the  picture  of  a  brute's  broken  leg!  And  yet, 
strange  to  say,  she  clung  to  her  purpose.  She 
looked  at  me  between  anger  and  vexation,  and  "If 
I  do  not,  others  will,"  she  said.  "Do  you  under 
stand  that,  sir?  Is  not  that  enough  for  you?  Can 
not  you  believe,  cannot  you  do  me  the  justice  to 
believe  that  I  am  doing  what  I  think  to  be  right? 
That  I  am  acting  for  the  best?  If  you  stay  here 

46 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

after  this  your  blood  be  upon  your  own  head!" 
she  added  solemnly. 

"So  be  it,"  I  said.  "It  would  be  a  very  great 
danger  that  would  draw  me  from  where  I  am,  Miss 
Wilmer.  I  am  like  the  King  of  France,  or  whoever 
it  was,  who  said  'J'y  suis,  J'y  reste.'" 

"Stubborn !    Foolish !"     I  heard  her  mutter. 

"I  hate  pain,"  I  said  complacently. 

"Do  you  hate  pain  more  than  you  fear  death?" 
she  asked,  gazing  at  me  with  sombre  eyes. 

"I  am  afraid  I  do,"  I  replied.  "I  am  a  milksop." 
And  I  looked  at  her. 

I  was  beginning  to  enjoy  the  discussion.  But  if 
I  hoped  for  a  farther  exchange  of  badinage  with  her 
I  was  mistaken.  She  did  not  deign  to  reply.  She 
did  that  to  which  I  could  make  no  answer.  She 
went  out  and  closed  the  door  behind  her. 


47 


CHAPTER  IV 

AT  THE  SMITHY 

Hinc  Constantia,  illinc  Furor. 


CATULLUS. 


The  way  in  which  the  girl  broke  off  the  discussion 
and  went  out  did  more  than  surprise  me.  It  left 
me  anxious  and,  in  a  degree,  apprehensive.  Her 
proposal  would  have  been  a  cruel  and  a  heartless  one 
if  nothing  lay  behind  it.  If  something  lay  behind 
it,  some  risk  serious  enough  to  justify  the  step  on 
which  she  insisted,  then  I  could  think  better  of  her 
but  very  much  worse  of  my  own  plight. 

Yet  Wilmer  had  thought  that  I  was  safe  in  his 
house,  if  not  in  the  huts.  And  if  I  were  not  secure 
here,  what  risks  must  I  not  run  on  the  slow,  painful, 
helpless  journey  to  Gates's  Head-Quarters,  through 
a  district  ill-affected  to  the  British!  Once  there,  it 
is  true,  my  life  would  be  safe,  and  the  Colonial 
Surgeons  enjoyed  a  high  reputation  for  skill.  But 
the  appliances  of  a  rebel  hospital  were  sure  to  be 
few,  the  fare  rough  and  scanty;  it  was  unlikely 
that  I  should  be  better  off  there  than  where  I  was. 
In  the  end,  doubtless,  I  should  have  to  go  thither; 

48 


'AT     THE     SMITHY 

it  was  the  only  road  to  exchange  and  freedom,  un 
less  a  happy  chance  rescued  me.  But  a  life  which 
would  be  bearable  when  I  could  use  my  arm  and 
had  recovered  my  strength  would  be  no  bed  of 
roses  at  present. 

And  to  be  quite  honest  I  had  found  an  interest 
where  I  was.  I  had  enjoyed  my  tussle  with  this 
strange  girl,  and  I  looked  forward  to  a  repetition  of  it. 
Her  beauty,  her  disdain,  her  desire  to  be  rid  of  me 
piqued  me  —  as  whom  would  it  not  have  piqued? 
—  and  whetted  that  appetite  for  conquest  which  is 
of  the  man,  manly.  Madam  Constantia!  The 
name  suited  her.  I  could  fancy  that  she  governed 
the  plantation  with  a  firm  hand  and  a  high  courage. 

On  the  whole  I  was  determined,  whatever  the 
risk,  to  stay  where  I  was;  and  yet  as  the  day  waned 
I  felt  less  happy.  My  shoulder  was  painful,  I  was 
restless.  I  told  myself  that  I  had  some  fever.  I 
was  tired,  too,  of  my  own  company  and  the  house 
seemed  more  still  than  usual.  I  hoped  that  the 
girl  would  pay  me  another  visit,  would  resume  the 
argument,  and  make  a  second  effort  to  persuade  me; 
but  she  did  not,  and  when  my  supper  came  Mammy 
Jacks  dispensed  it  with  an  air,  absurdly  tragic. 
She  heaved  sighs  from  a  capacious  bosom,  and  looked 
at  me  as  if  I  were  already  doomed. 

"Marse,  you'r  runnin'  up  wid  trubble,"  she  said. 
49 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"Ma'am  'Stantia,  she  look  like  der  wuz  sump'n 
wrong.  She  look  like  she  whip  all  de  han's  on  de 
plantation." 

"I  dare  say  she  is  pretty  severe,"  I  said  care 
lessly. 

"I  des'low  you  know  nothin'  'bout  it,"  the  woman 
replied  in  great  scorn.  "She  sholy  not  whip  one 
ha'f,  free  quarters,  ten  times  'nough!  When  Marse 
Wilmer  come  home,  sez  he,  whip  all  dis  black  trash! 
Make  up  fer  lost  time.  De  last  man  better  fer  it! 
Begin  wid  Mammy  Jacks!  Dat's  w'at  he  say,  but 
I  des  hanker  ter  see  him  tech  ole  Mammy!  I 
speck  sumpin'  wud  happen  bimeby  ter  "sprise  'im. 
Ef  Missie  got  win'  uv  it,  she  up  en  tell  'im!" 

"Is  he  coming  back  soon?"  I  asked. 

"Day  atter  tomorrow.  Clar  to  goodness,  when 
he  mounts  dem  steps,  Missie'll  not  mope  round 
no  mo'!  She  not  make  like  she  whip  de  han's 
den." 

"She's  very  fond  of  him,  is  she?" 

"Der  ain't  nobody  in  Car'lina  fer  'er  ceppin  er 
dad!  Seem  like  she  idol  —  idol  — " 

"Idolizes  him,"  I  suggested. 

"Mout  be  dat,"  Mammy  Jacks  assented.  She 
repeated  the  word  to  herself  with  much  satisfaction. 
It  was  a  long  one. 

The  little  vixen,  I  thought.  So  she  would  be  rid 
50 


AT    THE    SMITHY 

of  me  before  her  father  returned!  She  knew  that  he 
would  not  send  me  away,  and  so  —  well,  she  was 
a  spit-fire! 

"Look  here,  Mammy  Jacks,"  I  said.  "I  don't 
think  that  I  shall  sleep  to-night.  I  am  restless.  I 
should  like  something  to  read.  Will  you  ask  Miss 
Wilmer  if  she  can  lend  me  a  book.  Any  book  will 
do,  old  or  new." 

"Tooby  sho,'"  she  said,  and  she  went  to  do  my 
bidding. 

I  thought  that  this  might  re-open  relations.  It 
might  bring  the  girl  herself  to  learn  what  kind  of 
book  I  would  choose  to  have.  There  was  not  likely 
to  be  much  choice  on  this  up-country  plantation, 
where  I  need  not  expect  to  find  the  "Fool  of  Qual 
ity  "  or  "  The  Female  Quixote  "for  any  of  the  fash 
ionable  productions  of  the  circulating  libraries.  But 
a  Pope,  a  Richardson,  or  possibly  a  Fielding  I  might 
hope  to  have. 

Alas,  my  reckoning  was  at  fault.  I  had  none,  of 
these.  It  was  Mammy  Jacks  who  presently  brought 
back  the  answer  and  the  book.  "Missie,  she  up  'n 
say  dat  monst'ous  good  book  fer  you,"  the  negress 
explained,  as  she  set  down  the  volume  with  a  grin. 
"Missie  say  it  wuz  ole  en  new,  but  she  specks  new 
ter  you.  She  tuck'n  say  she  'ope  you  read  it  ter 
night  —  you  in  monst'ous  big  need  uv  it." 

51 


Puzzled  by  the  message,  and  a  little  curious,  I 
took  the  book  and  opened  it.  It  was  the  Bible! 

For  a  moment  I  was  very  angry;  it  seemed  to  be 
a  poor  jest,  and  in  bad  taste.  Then  I  saw,  or 
thought  that  I  saw,  that  it  was  not  a  jest  at  all. 
This  queer  girl  had  sent  the  Bible,  thinking  to 
impress  me,  to  frighten  me,  to  bend  me  at  the  last 
moment  to  her  will! 

Certainly  she  should  not  persuade  me  now!  Go? 
Never! 

After  all  I  had  a  quiet  night.  I  slept  well  and 
awoke  with  a  keen  desire  to  turn  the  tables  on  her. 
I  counted  on  her  coming  to  learn  the  result  of  her 
last  step,  perhaps  to  try  the  effect  of  a  last  per 
suasion.  But  she  did  not  come  near  me,  and  the 
day  passed  very  slowly.  I  thanked  heaven  that 
Wilmer  would  return  on  the  morrow.  1  should 
have  some  one  to  speak  to  then,  some  one  to  look  at, 
I  should  no  longer  be  cut  off  from  my  kind.  And 
he  might  bring  news,  news  of  Tarleton,  news  of 
Lord  Cornwallis,  news  of  our  movements  in  the 
field.  Out  of  pure  ennui  I  dozed  through  most  of 
the  afternoon.  The  sun  set  and  the  short  twilight 
passed  unnoticed.  It  was  dark  when  I  awoke.  I 
wondered  for  a  moment  where  I  was.  Then  I  re 
membered,  and  fancied  that  I  must  have  slept  some 
hours,  for  I  was  hungry. 

52 


AT     THE     SMITHY 

And  then,  "Wilmer  has  come,"  I  thought;  I 
heard  the  voice  of  a  man  in  the  living-room.  Pres 
ently  I  heard  another  voice,  nay,  more  than  one. 
"Yes,  Wilmer  has  come,"  I  thought,  "and  not 
alone.  I  shall  have  some  one  to  speak  to  at  last, 
and  news  perhaps.  Doubtless  they  are  occupied 
with  him,  but  they  need  not  forget  me  altogether. 
They  might  bring  me  a  light  and  my  supper." 

And  then  —  strange  how  swiftly,  in  a  flash,  in  a 
heartbeat,  the  mind  seizes  and  accepts  a  new  state 
of  things!  —  then  I  knew  why  Mammy  Jacks  had 
brought  no  light  and  no  supper.  I  heard  her  voice, 
excited,  tearful,  protesting,  raised  in  the  unrestrained 
vehemence  of  the  black;  and  a  man's  voice  that 
silenced  her  harshly,  silenced  her  with  an  oath. 
And  therewith  I  needed  no  more  to  explain  the 
position.  I  grasped  it. 

When  a  few  seconds  later  the  door  was  flung 
open,  and  the  light  broke  in  upon  me,  and  with  the 
light  three  or  four  rough  burly  figures,  who  crowded 
one  after  the  other  over  the  threshold,  I  was  pre 
pared.  I  had  had  that  moment  of  warning,  and  I 
was  ready.  There  were  scared  black  faces  behind 
them,  filling  the  doorway,  and  peeping  athwart 
them,  and  murmurs,  and  a  stir  of  panic  proceeding 
from  the  room  without. 

"You  come  without  much  ceremony,  gentlemen," 
53 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

I  said,  speaking  as  coolly  as  I  could.  For  the 
moment  I  had  only  one  thought,  one  aim,  one 
anxiety  —  that  what  I  felt  should  not  appear. 

"Ceremony?  Oh,  d — n  your  ceremony!"  cried 
the  first  to  enter.  And  he  called  for  a  candle 
that  he  might  see  what  he  was  doing.  When  it  was 
handed  in  I  saw  them.  They  were  a  grim,  rough 
group,  the  man  who  had  called  for  the  candle  the 
least  ill-looking  among  them;  as  he  was  also  the 
smallest  and  perhaps  the  most  dangerous.  They 
all  wore  wide-leafed  hats  and  carried  guns  and  were 
hung  about  with  pouches  and  weapons.  They 
stared  down  at  me,  and  I  stared  steadily  at  them. 
"  You've  got  to  swap  your  bed  for  the  road,"  the 
leader  continued  in  the  same  brutal  tone.  "We 
think  you'll  be  safer,  where  we're  going  to  take 
you,  mister." 

"And  where's  that?"  I  asked  —  though  I  knew 
very  well. 

"To  Salisbury,"  he  said.  But  his  grin  gave  the 
lie  to  his  words. 

"I  am  afraid  that  is  too  long  a  journey,  gentle 
men,"  I  answered.  "I  could  not  go  so  far.  I  am 
quite  helpless." 

"Oh,  you'll  be  helped  to  make  the  journey,"  he 
retorted;  and  they  all  laughed,  as  at  a  good  jest. 
"You'll  not  find  it  long,  either,"  he  continued,  "you 

54 


AT    THE    SMITHY 

can  trust  us  for  that.  We're  not  set  on  long  jour 
neys  ourselves.  We  must  go  with  you  a  piece  of 
the  way,  so  we'll  shorten  it,  depend  upon  it!" 

"I  am  Captain  Wilmer's  prisoner,"  I  said  clutch 
ing  at  what  I  knew  was  a  straw.  "He  placed  me 
here,  and  you  will  have  to  answer  to  him,  gentlemen, 
for  anything  you  may  do." 

"We'll  answer  him,"  growled  one  of  the  other 
men.  "I  don't  think  you'll  be  there  to  complain/' 
he  added  with  meaning. 

I  tried  to  calculate  the  chances,  but  there  were 
none.  I  could  not  resist,  I  was  crippled  and  un 
armed.  I  could  not  escape.  I  was  in  their  hands  and 
at  their  mercy.  "I  ask  you  to  note,"  I  said,  "that 
I  am  a  prisoner  of  war,  duly  admitted  to  quarter." 

"And  why  not?"  the  last  speaker  retorted  with  a 
curse.  "Ain't  we  going  to  take  you  to  Head-Quar 
ters?  And  the  shortest  way?"  with  a  wink  at  the 
others. 

At  this  there  came  an  interruption  from  the  outer 
room.  "Why  don't  you  bring  the  d — d  Tory  out?" 
cried  a  voice  that  scorned  disguise.  "What's  the 
use  of  all  this  palaver,  Levi?  Might  be  a  Cherokee 
pow-wow  by  the  sound  of  it.  Come!  If  he  don't 
know  what  to  expect  he'd  best  go  and  ask  at  Buford's! 
Bring  him  out,  confound  you!  Here's  his  horse,  and 
a  rope  and  — " 

55 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"You'll  let  me  dress?"  I  said.  There  was  no 
chance,  I  saw,  but  clearly  what  chance  there  was 
lay  in  coolness  and  delay,  if  delay  were  possible. 
"With  a  long  journey  before  me,  a  man  likes  to 
start  handsomely,"  I  continued,  addressing  the 
smaller  man  whom  they  called  Levi.  "I  am  sure 
that  Captain  Wilmer  would  not  wish  to  put  me  to 
more  inconvenience  than  is  necessary.  He's  been 
at  a  good  deal  of  trouble  — " 

"A  vast  lot  too  much,"  the  man  in  the  outer 
room  struck  in.  "He  needs  a  lesson,  too,  and  we're 
the  lads  of  mettle  to  give  it  him!  Here,"  with  a 
mingling  of  sarcasm  and  impatience,  "pass  along  my 
lord's  vally,  and  his  curling  tongs!  'Fraid  we  can't 
stop  while  he  powders!  Now,  no  nonsense,  damme! 
Where's  his  clothes  ?  Where's  that  nigger  ?  Tom ! ' ' 

The  nigger  was  passed  in  from  one  to  another, 
getting  some  rough  usage  on  the  way.  "If  you 
could  withdraw,  gentlemen,  for  a  minute?"  I  said. 
Alone  I  might  think  of  something. 

But,  "No,  stranger,  by  your  leave,"  Levi  replied, 
with  a  sneer.  "You're  too  precious!  We're  not 
going  to  lose  sight  of  you  till  —  till  the  time  comes. 
Go  on  with  your  dressing,  if  you  don't  want  to  go  in 
your  shirt!" 

Perhaps  it  was  as  well  that  they  did  not  go,  for  I 
I  was  shaky  on  my  legs  and  I  feared  nothing  so 

56 


much  as  that  I  should  break  down  through  bodily 
weakness.  Their  presence  braced  me  and  gave  me 
the  less  time  to  think.  Tom's  fingers  trembled  so 
much  that  he  was  not  as  useful  as  he  might  have 
been,  but  with  his  help  I  got  somehow  into  my 
clothes  —  with  many  a  twinge  and  one  groan  that  I 
could  not  check.  The  injured  arm  was  already 
bound  to  my  side,  but  by  passing  the  other  arm 
through  the  sleeve  of  a  coat  —  Wilmer's  I  suppose, 
for  my  uniform  was  not  wearable  —  and  looping  the 
garment  loosely  round  my  neck,  I  was  clothed  after 
a  fashion.  With  these  men  looking  sombrely  on, 
and  their  shadows,  cast  by  the  wavering  light  of  the 
candle,  rising  and  falling  on  the  ceiling,  and  the 
hurry  and  silence,  broken  now  and  again  by  some, 
"Lord  ha'  mercy"  from  the  outer  room,  it  was 
such  a  toilet  as  men  make  in  Newgate  but  surely 
nowhere  else. 

"That'll  do,"  Levi  cried  by  and  by.  "You'll  not 
catch  cold." 

"We'll  answer  for  that!"  chimed  in  another. 
"Bring  him  on!  He'll  be  warm  enough  where  he's 
going!  We've  wasted  more  time  than  enough  al 
ready!" 

My  head  swam  for  a  moment.  Then,  thank  God, 
the  dizziness  left  me  and  I  got  myself  in  hand.  I 
thought  it  right  to  make  a  last  protest,  however 

57 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

useless.  "Note,"  I  said,  raising  my  head,  "all 
here  that  I  go  unwillingly.  These  gentlemen  do 
not  intend  me  to  reach  Salisbury,  and  I  warn  them 
that  they  will  be  answerable  to  Captain  Wilmer  and 
to  the  Authorities  for  what  they  do.  I  am  well 
known  to  Lord  Cornwallis  — " 

"Enough  of  this  palaver!"  roared  the  brute  in 
the  outer  room.  "Are  you  turning  soft,  Levi? 
Why  don't  you  bring  the  man  through?  If  he 
won't  catch  cold,  my  mare  will.  Make  an  end, 
man!" 

It  was  useless  to  say  more.  "Don't  touch  me," 
I  said.  "I  can  walk." 

-I  went  out  in  the  midst  of  them  into  the  living- 
room  which  I  had  not  yet  seen  with  my  eyes.  There, 
in  the  lamplight  the  fourth  man  was  standing  on 
guard  over  the  negro  women  of  whom  there  were 
three  or  four.  Apart  from  them,  with  her  back  to 
us,  and  looking  through  a  window  into  the  darkness, 
stood  Madam  Constantia.  I  had  not  heard  the 
girl's  voice  since  the  men  had  entered  the  house, 
and  so  far  as  I  could  judge  she  had  carried  out 
her  threat,  had  uttered  no  protest,  taken  no  side. 
She  had  deliberately  stood  aloof.  Now,  one  does 
not  look  for  protection  to  women.  But  that  a 
woman,  a  girl  should  stand  aside  at  such  a  time, 
should  stand  by,  silent,  unmoved,  unprotesting,  while 

58 


AT    THE    SMITHY 

her  father's  guest  was  dragged  out  to  death  —  when 
even  the  negroes  about  her  were  moved  to  pity  — 
seemed  to  me  an  abominable  thing,  a  thing  so  un 
natural  that  it  nerved  me  more  than  I  believe  any 
thing  else  could  have.  If  I  were  English,  and  she 
hated  me  for  that,  she  should  at  least  not  despise 
me!  If  she  thought  so  ill  of  the  King's  officers  that 
to  her  they  were  but  milksops,  she  should  at  least 
find  that  we  could  meet  the  worst  with  dignity. 
She  was  abominable  in  her  hardness  and  her  beauty, 
but  at  least  I  would  leave  a  thought  to  prick  her, 
a  something  by  which  she  should  remember  me. 
Better,  far  better  to  think  of  her  in  this  pinch,  than 
of  home,  of  Osgodby,  of  my  mother! 

There  would  be  time  to  think  of  these  in  the  dark 
ness  outside. 

As  I  entered  the  room  —  and  no  doubt,  half- 
dressed  as  I  was,  I  looked  pale  and  ill  —  the  women 
cried  out.  At  that  the  men  would  have  hustled  me 
through  the  outer  door  without  giving  me  an  oppor 
tunity  of  speaking;  but  I  managed  to  gain  a  moment. 
Mammy  Jacks  was  blubbering  —  I  called  her  to  me. 
"My  purse  and  what  little  money  I  have,"  I  said, 
"is  under  my  pillow.  It's  yours,  my  good  woman. 
If  Captain  Wilmer  will  be  good  enough  to  let  Lord 
Cornwallis  know  that  Major  Craven  —  Major 
Craven,  can  you  remember  —  but  he  will  know 

59 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

what  to  say.  And  one  moment!"  I  hung  back,  as 
the  men  would  have  dragged  me  on.  "There  are 
some  letters  with  the  purse  from  a  woman  named 
Simms,  who  is  about  the  Barracks  at  Charles  Town. 
I  want  her  to  know  that  her  husband  is  dead  — 
was  killed  in  my  presence.  I  promised  him  that 
she  should  know.  She  should  get  a  pass  on  the 
next  Falmouth  packet,  and  —  you  won't  forget  — • 
Major  Craven — 'my  address  in  England  is  in  the 
purse."  Then,  "I  am  ready,"  I  said  to  the  men. 

I  would  not  look  again  at  the  girl's  still  figure; 
I  went  out.  Half-a-dozen  horses  stood  in  the  dark 
ness  before  the  house,  watched  by  a  fifth  man.  One 
of  these  was  thrust  forward,  and  from  the  edge  of 
the  porch  I  was  able,  though  weakly  and  with  pain, 
to  get  into  the  saddle.  The  men  mounted  round 
me.  They  would  have  started  at  a  trot,  but  I  told 
them  curtly  that  I  could  not  sit  the  horse.  On  that 
they  moved  away,  grumbling,  at  a  walk. 

I  cast  a  backward  glance  at  the  long  dark  line  of 
the  house,  and  especially  at  the  lighted  window  in 
which  the  girl's  figure  showed  as  in  a  frame.  She 
was  watching  us  go,  watching  to  the  last  without 
concern  or  pity.  Certainly  she  had  warned  me, 
certainly  she  had  done  her  best  to  persuade  me  to 
go  while  there  was  time.  But  in  the  bitterness  of 
the  moment  I  could  not  remember  this.  I  could 

60 


AT    THE    SMITHY 

Only  think  of  her  as  unfeeling,  unwomanly,  cruel. 
I  had  read  of  such  women,  I  had  never  met  one, 
I  had  never  thought  to  meet  one;  and  I  would 
think  of  her  no  more.  I  knew  that  in  leaving  the 
house  I  left  my  last  hope  behind  me,  and  that  outside 
in  the  night,  in  the  power  of  these  men,  I  must  face 
what  was  before  me  without  a  thought  of  help. 

A  man  dismounted  to  lower  a  sliprail,  and  even 
while  I  told  myself  that  there  was  no  hope  I  won 
dered  if,  crippled  and  weak  as  I  was,  I  might  still 
find  some  way  to  elude  them.  Clopety-clop,  the 
horses  went  on  again.  The  night  wind  rustled  across 
the  fields,  crickets  chirped,  the  squeal  of  some  animal 
in  its  death-throe  startled  the  ear.  Clopety-clop! 

I  tried  to  direct  my  thoughts  to  that  future  now 
so  near,  which  all  must  sometime  face.  I  tried  to 
remove  my  mind  from  the  present,  so  swiftly  ebbing 
away,  and  to  dwell  on  the  dark  leap  into  the  un 
known,  into  the  illimitable,  that  lay  before  me. 
But  I  could  not.  Hurried  pictures  of  my  home, 
of  my  mother,  of  the  way  in  which  the  news  would 
reach  Osgodby  —  these  indeed  flitted  across  my 
mind.  But  though  I  knew,  though  I  told  myself, 
that  escape  was  hopeless,  and  that  in  a  few  minutes, 
in  an  hour,  according  as  these  ruffians  pleased,  I 
should  cease  to  exist,  hope  still  tormented  me,  still 
held  me  on  its  tenter-hooks,  still  swung  my  mind 

61 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 
,v 

hither  and  thither,  as  the  chance  of  reprieve  dis 
tracts  the  poor  wretch  in  the  condemned  cell. 

What  if  I  broke  away,  one-armed  as  I  was,  and 
thrust  my  way  through  the  men,  taking  my  chance 
of  obstacles?  It  would  be  useless,  reason  told  me; 
and  it  might  be  the  thing  which  they  wished.  It 
would  absolve  them  from  the  last  scruple,  if  any 
scruple  remained.  And  at  best  I  must  be  recap 
tured,  for  I  knew  neither  my  horse  nor  the  country. 
Then  —  the  mind  at  such  times  darts  from  subject 
to  subject,  unable  to  fix  itself  —  I  caught  a  word  or 
two  spoken  by  the  riders  in  front. 

"We  can  get  one  at  the  smithy,"  Levi  said. 

"Confound  you,  you  make  me  mad,"  the  other 
grumbled.  "Why  break  our  backs  just  to  put  him 
—  "I  missed  the  last  word  or  two. 

"You're  a  fool,  man!  We  must  give  Wilmer  no 
handle,"  Levi  replied.  "Let  him  suspect  what  he 
pleases,  he  can't  prove  it.  If  he  can't  show  — "  his 
voice  dropped  lower,  I  lost  the  rest. 

So  they  were  afraid  of  Wilmer,  after  all!  But 
what  was  it  that  they  were  going  to  get  at  the 
smithy?  And  if  we  stayed  there,  was  there  any 
chance  of  help?  I  thought  of  Barter  and  the 
frightened  women.  Reason  told  me  that  there  was 
no  hope  in  them. 

We  were  on  the  road  now,  riding  in  thick  dark- 
62 


AT    THE    SMITHY 

ness  under  trees.  The  pain  in  my  shoulder  was 
growing  with  the  motion,  and  from  one  moment  to 
another,  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  restrain  a  groan. 
Frogs  were  croaking  —  cold  for  them  I  thought, 
with  that  strange  leap  of  the  mind  from  one  subject 
to  another.  The  men  were  silent,  and  save  for  the 
trampling  of  the  horses  and  such  sounds  as  I  have 
named,  the  night  was  silent.  How  far  were  we 
going?  Why  need  they  be  at  the  trouble  of  riding, 
and  I  at  the  pain,  when  the  end,  soon  or  late,  would 
be  the  same? 

Ha!  there,  before  us  was  the  faint  glow  of  the 
smithy  fire.  Apparently  the  forge  was  at  work  to 
night.  It  had  not  been  lighted  on  the  night  of  the 
King's  Mountain  fight. 

As  we  sighted  it,  one  of  the  men  spoke.  I  caught 
the  word  "  Spade."  It  was  that  which  they  were 
going  to  get  at  the  smithy,  then?  A  spade! 

The  word  chilled  my  blood  —  I  shivered.  The 
glow  of  the  smithy  fire  grew  stronger  as  we  ad 
vanced,  the  ring  of  a  hammer  on  metal  reached  us. 
The  men  seemed  to  be  disturbed  by  something  and 
spoke  low  to  one  another.  They  even  drew  rein  for 
a  moment  and  conferred,  but  on  second  thoughts 
they  moved  on.  "  It  can't  be  old  Barter,"  said  one. 
"But  I'm  mighty  surprised  if  there  was  a  fire  when 
we  came  by.  Who's  lit  it  ?  " 

63 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"Perhaps  his  lad's  come  back?" 

"Jake?    Maybe.    We'll  soon  know." 

They  drew  up  towards  the  forge  at  a  walk. 

When  we  were  twenty  yards  from  the  doorway 
whence  the  light  issued,  a  man  strolled  out  of  the 
shed,  his  hands  in  his  pockets.  He  stood  in  the  glow 
of  the  fire,  looking  towards  us;  doubtless  he  had 
heard  the  sound  of  the  horses'  hoofs  above  the  clink 
of  the  hammer.  He  had  a  cigar  in  his  mouth,  and 
as  he  stood  watching  our  approach  he  did  not  re 
move  it,  nor  take  his  hands  from  his  pockets.  He 
stood  quietly  watching  us,  as  we  came  towards  him. 

"Halloa!"  said  Levi,  as  we  pulled  up  two  or  three 
paces  from  the  stranger.  "  Lit  the  forge,  have  you  ?  " 

"Cast  a  shoe,"  the  man  replied.  He  was  a  small 
man,  plainly,  but,  for  the  up-country,  neatly  dressed, 
and  wearing  a  black  leather  jockey-cap.  A  rather 
elegant  finical  little  man  he  seemed  to  me,  and  un 
armed.  Such  as  he  was,  my  hopes  flew  to  him, 
and  rested  on  him,  though  in  the  way  of  help  old 
Barter  could  scarcely  have  seemed  less  promising. 

"  You  alone?"     Levi  asked,  looking  him  over. 

"You've  said  it,"  the  man  replied  placidly.  His 
eyes  traveled  from  one  to  another  of  us.  He  did  not 
move. 

Levi  bent  his  head  and  looked  under  the  low 
eaves  of  the  smithy.  "You  ride  a  good  horse,"  he 

64 


AT    THE    SMITHY 

said.  "A  d — d  good  horse!"  he  repeated  in  a  ris 
ing  voice. 

The  man  nodded. 

Levi  glanced  over  his  shoulder.  "Fetch  it,"  he 
said  to  one  of  his  followers  —  and  I  knew  that  he 
meant  the  spade,  not  the  horse.  Then,  "What  are 
you  doing  here?"  he  asked  the  stranger. 

It  was  on  this  that  the  first  real  hope  awoke  in 
me.  The  man's  calmness  in  face  of  this  bunch  of 
armed  men  —  he  had  never  removed  his  hands  from 
his  pockets  or  the  cigar  from  his  mouth  —  and  a 
certain  gleam  in  his  eyes,  that  gave  the  lie  to  his 
mild  manner  —  these  two  things  impressed  me. 
And  his  answer  to  Levi's  question. 

"I'm  just  looking  round,"  he  said  gently. 

For  a  moment  I  think  that  Levi  was  on  the  point 
of  turning  on  his  heel,  and  letting  the  man  go  his 
way.  But  his  greed  had  been  roused,  I  suppose,  by 
a  second  look  at  the  stranger's  horse;  and  "That's 
no  answer,"  he  said  roughly.  "  What's  your  errand 
here?  Who  are  you?  What  are  you  doing? 
Come!"  he  continued  more  violently.  "We  want 
no  strangers  here  and  no  spies!  We've  caught  one 
already,  and  it's  as  easy,  s'help  me,  to  find  two 
halters  as  one!" 

"And  there  are  plenty  of  trees,"  the  man  answered 
coolly,  with  his  eyes  on  me.  "No  lack  of  them 

65 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

either!  Spy  is  he.  He  might  well  be  English  by 
the  look  of  him." 

"We'll  take  care  of  him!"  Levi  retorted  roughly. 
"Who  are  you?  That  is  the  point!  You're  none 
of  Shelby's  men,  nor  Campbell's!  Where  do  you 
live?" 

"Well,  I  don't  live  here." 

"Then—" 

"Do  you  know  Wilmer?  Captain  Wilmer?"  the 
stranger  asked. 

"Yes,  but— " 

"He  knows  me.    Ask  him." 

I  struck  in  before  Levi  could  make  the  angry  re 
joinder  which  was  on  his  lips.  "I  am  Captain 
Wilmer's  prisoner,"  I  cried,  thrusting  my  horse  for 
ward.  For  the  moment  I  forgot  pain  and  weakness. 
"And  I  take  you  to  witness,  sir,  whoever  you  are, 
that  I  am  no  spy,  and  that  these  men  have  carried 
me  off  from  Captain  Wilmer's  house." 

"D — n  you,  hold  your  tongue!"  cried  one  of  the 
other  men,  pushing  forward  and  trying  to  silence 
me. 

"I  am  Major  Craven  of  the  English  Army!"  I 
persisted.  "I  am  a  wounded  man,  taken  at  King's 
Mountain,  and  given  quarter,  and  these  men  — " 

One  of  them  clapped  his  hand  on  my  mouth. 
Another  seized  my  horse's  head  and  dragged  it 

66 


AT    THE    SMITHY 

back.    They  closed  round  me.    "  Knock  his  head 
off!"  cried  Levi.     "Choke  him,  some  one!" 

"That  man,  Barter  —  the  smith!"  I  shouted 
desperately  —  the  old  man  had  just  come  to  the 
smithy  entrance  —  "he  knows!  He  saw  me  with 
Captain  Wilmer !  Ask  him ! ' ' 

I  could  say  no  more.  One  of  the  men  flung  his 
arm  round  my  neck  and  squeezed  not  only  my 
throat  but  my  shoulder.  I  screamed  with  pain,  'fj 

"Take  him  on!  Take  him  on!"  Levi  cried  furi 
ously.  "I  and  Margetts  will  deal  with  this  fellow. 
Take  him  on!" 

"Stop!"  said  the  little  man;  and  more  nimbly 
than  I  had  ever  seen  it  done,  he  whipped  out  a 
pistol,  cocked  it,  and  covered  Levi,  who  was  sitting 
in  his  saddle  not  three  paces  from  him.  "Don't 
take  him,"  he  went  on.  "And  stand  still.  If  a 
man  goes  to  draw  his  weapon  I  shoot." 

Never  was  a  surprise  more  complete.  The  man 
who  had  tried  to  choke  me  let  his  arm  fall  from  my 
shoulder,  the  men's  mouths  opened,  Levi  gaped. 
Not  a  hand  was  raised  among  them. 

"Wilmer's  prisoner,  is  he?"  the  little  man  went 
on;  he  spoke  as  quietly  as  he  had  spoken  before. 
"And  you  were  going  to  hang  him?  Mighty  hur 
ried,  wasn't  it?" 

"What  the  h— 11  is  it  to  you?"    Levi  cried. 
67 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

The  muzzle  rose  from  his  breast  to  his  head. 
"Better  tell  that  man  of  yours  to  be  still!"  the 
stranger  said  —  this  time  he  spoke  rather  grimly. 
Then  to  me  "Taken  at  King's  Mountain,  sir?" 

"Yes,"  I  said.  "I've  a  broken  arm  and  my 
shoulder  was  crushed.  I  appeal  to  you  to  rescue 
me  from  these  men.  If  you  leave  me  in  their 
hands—" 

The  man  stopped  me  by  a  nod.  He  took  his 
cigar  from  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  threw  it  away 
and  substituted  for  it  something  that  gleamed  in 
the  light.  He  whistled  shrilly. 

"Better  stand  still!"  he  said,  as  one  or  two  of  the 
horses  backed  and  sidled,  "I  miss  sometimes,  but 
not  at  three  paces."  He  whistled  again,  more 
loudly.  "On  second  thoughts,  you'll  be  wise  to 
take  yourselves  off,"  he  added. 

"Not  before  I  know  who  you  are,"  Levi  retorted 
with  an  oath.  His  mean  face  was  livid  with  anger 
—  and  fear. 

"Well,  I'll  tell  you,"  the  stranger  answered  in  the 
tone  of  a  man  making  a  concession;  and  to  my 
astonishment  he  dropped  the  muzzle  of  his  pistol, 
cooly  uncocked  it,  and  returned  it  to  his  pocket. 
"I  am  Marion  of  Marion's  Rangers,  Marion  of  the 
Pee  Dee  River.  My  men  will  be  here  presently  and 
if  you  take  my  advice  you  will  be  gone  before  they 

68 


come.  There  are  plenty  of  trees  about  and  we  have 
ropes.  I  will  be  responsible  for  your  prisoner,"  he 
added  sternly.  "Leave  him  to  me." 

Levi  gasped.     "Colonel  Marion!"  he  cried. 

"At  your  service,  sir.  Captain  Wilmer  is  acting 
as  my  guide  and  if  he  finds  you  gentlemen  here  he 
may  have  something  to  say  to  this  matter.  Bring 
out  my  horse,  my  friend,"  he  continued,  addressing 
the  old  smith. 

I  rode  clear  of  Levi's  gang,  no  one  raising  a  hand 
or  attempting  to  stay  me.  I  ranged  myself  beside 
Marion.  Levi  and  his  men  conferred  in  low  voices, 
their  heads  together,  their  eyes  over  their  shoulders. 

Marion  turned  his  back  on  them  while  the  smith 
brought  out  his  horse,  a  beautiful  black  thorough 
bred.  I  did  not  wonder  that  at  the  sight  of  it  Levi's 
greed  had  been  whetted.  "I'd  have  shod  him  with 
gold,"  Barter  said  as  he  held  the  stirrup,  "if  I'd 
known  whose  he  was,  Colonel  —  and  a  little  bit  for 
his  own  sake.  I  might  have  known  when  I  saw  him, 
as  he  carried  no  common  rider." 

"Thank  you,  my  friend,"  Marion  said  as  he 
settled  himself  in  the  saddle.  "  I  won't  offer  to  pay 
you." 

"God  forbid!"  cried  the  old  man. 

Marion  turned  to  the  five  scowling,  angry  men 
who  still  held  their  ground.  Even  they  were 

69 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

ashamed,  I  fancy,  to  back  down  before  one  man. 
"Gentlemen,"  he  said  in  a  small  hard  voice.  "When 
I  say,  Go!  I  mean,  Go." 

"You're  not  on  the  Pee  Dee  now!"  one  of  the 
men  answered  with  insolence. 

"You  can  tell  that  to  my  men,"  he  replied. 
"When  they  come." 

Far  off,  breaking  the  silence  of  the  night,  the 
beat  of  hoofs  came  dully  to  us.  Levi  heard  it, 
and  he  turned  his  horse's  head,  and  muttered  some 
thing  to  his  men.  "Another  day!"  he  cried  aloud 

—  but  only  to  cover  his  retreat.    Then  he  and  these 
four  brave  men  moved  off  with  what  dignity  they 
might.    The  beat  of  hoofs  came  more  loudly,  and 
clearly  from  the  eastward.    The  five  began  to  trot. 

Marion  laughed  softly.     "They  are  grand  folks 

—  in  a  tavern!"  he  said. 

A  man  who  has  had  such  an  escape  as  I  had  had, 
and  whose  throat  aches  as  he  thinks  of  the  rope  that 
he  has  evaded,  is  not  at  his  best  as  an  observer.  If 
he  is  capable  of  thought  at  all,  he  is  prone  to  think 
only  of  himself.  But  I  had  heard  so  much  of  the 
partisan  leader,  whose  craft  and  courage  had  defied 
the  energy  of  Tarleton,  and  whose  name  was  a 
terror  to  our  people  from  the  Pine  Barrier  to  the 
ocean,  and  from  the  Santee  River  to  the  Gadkin, 
that  I  could  not  take  my  eyes  off  Marion.  His 

70 


AT,    THE    SMITHY 

marvellous  escapes,  the  speed  of  his  horse  which 
was  a  fable  through  the  Carolinas,  the  stern  dis 
cipline  he  maintained,  and  his  humanity  to  royal 
ists  and  regulars  alike  —  these  things  had  already 
made  his  name  famous.  Pursued  to  his  haunts  in 
the  marshes  of  the  Pee  Dee,  he  issued  from  them 
the  moment  the  pressure  was  relaxed;  and  while 
Sumter  and  Davy  and  Pickens,  all  leaders  of  note, 
harassed  us  on  our  borders,  it  was  Marion  who 
sapped  the  foundations  of  our  power,  cut  off  our 
detachments,  and  harried  our  friends  to  the  very 
gates  of  Charles  Town.  Tarleton,  whom  he  had 
evaded  a  dozen  times,  called  him  the  Swamp  Fox, 
and  grew  dull  at  his  name.  But  Tarleton  could 
bear  no  rival,  friend  or  foe,  and  carried  into  war  a 
spirit  far  too  bitter.  For  most  of  us  Marion's  ex 
ploits,  troublesome  as  they  were  and  rapidly  grow 
ing  dangerous,  were  a  theme  of  generous  interest 
and  admiration. 

He  saw  that  I  was  observing  him  and  probably 
he  was  not  displeased.  But  after  a  moment's  pause, 
"Are  you  in  pain,  sir?"  he  asked. 

"Not  more  than  I  can  bear,"  I  replied.  "Nor  in 
any  that  should  deter  me  from  acknowledging  the 
service  you  have  rendered  me." 

"  I  am  glad  it  fell  out  so,"  he  replied  courteously. 
"Here  is  Wilmer." 

71 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  SWAMP  FOX 

Giving  the  rein  to  the  most  intrepid  gallantry  and  in  battle 
exhibiting  all  the  fire  and  impetuosity  of  youth,  there  never  was 
an  enemy,  who  yielded  to  his  valor,  who  had  not  cause  to  ad 
mire  and  eulogize  his  subsequent  humanity.  —  It  would  have 
been  as  easy  to  turn  the  sun  from  his  course  as  Marion  from  the 
path  of  honor. 

GARDEN. 

Wilmer  rode  up  to  us  a  minute  later,  followed  by 
two  horsemen,  rough  wild-looking  men,  who  wore 
leather  caps  like  their  leader's.  When  he  saw  who 
Marion's  companion  was  even  his  aplomb  was  not 
equal  to  the  occasion.  He  stared  at  me  open- 
mouthed.  "What  diversion  is  this,  Major?"  he 
cried  at  last.  "You  here?  What  in  the  name  of 
cock-fighting  are  you  doing  here?" 

"I  am  afraid  Major  Craven  has  considerable 
ground  for  complaint,"  Marion  said,  a  note  of  stern 
ness  in  his  voice. 

"Which  Colonel  Marion  has  removed  at  risk  to 
himself,"  I  said  politely.  "I  am  afraid  that  if  it 
had  not  been  for  him  I  should  have  had  no  throat 
to  complain  with!  A  man  called  Levi  and  four 

72 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

others  entered  your  house  an  hour  ago,  Captain 
Wilmer,  and  dragged  me  out,  and  in  spite  of  all  my 
remonstrances  — " 

"Were  going  to  hang  him,"  Marion  said  grimly. 
"Fortunately  they  called  at  the  forge,  I  was  here, 
and  Major  Craven  appealed  to  me.  I  interfered  — " 

"And  they  cried  'King's  Cruse/  I  warrant  you!" 
Wilmer  struck  in. 

"Well,  they  withdrew  the  stakes,"  Marion  said 
with  a  ghost  of  a  smile.  "They  were  not  a  very 
gallant  five.  So  all  is  well  that  ends  well  —  as  it 
has  in  this  case,  Wilmer.  In  this  case!  But — " 

"But  what  was  Con  doing?"  Wilmer  cried  turn 
ing  to  me.  "That  she  let  them  take  you  out  of  the 
house?" 

I  fancied  that  the  moment  he  had  spoken  he 
would  have  recalled  his  words;  and  acting  on  an 
impulse  which  I  did  not  stay  to  examine,  "She  did 
what  she  could,  I  have  no  doubt,"  I  answered. 
"What  could  she  do?  Colonel  Marion  may  think 
little  of  facing  five  men  — " 

"Five  corn-stalks!"  he  interpolated  lightly. 

"But  for  a  woman  it's  another  matter!  A  very 
different  matter!" 

"And  yet,"  Wilmer  said  —  but  I  thought  that  he 
breathed  more  freely  —  "Con  is  not  exactly  a  board 
ing-school  miss.  She's  — " 

73 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"She's  my  god-daughter  for  one  thing,"  Marion 
said  with  a  smile. 

"I  should  have  thought  that  she  could  manage  a 
cur  like  Levi!" 

"And  four  others?"  I  said.     "Come,  come!" 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders,  but  I  saw  that  he  was 
relieved  by  my  words.  "Well,  it's  over  now,"  he 
said,  "and  she  will  tell  us  her  own  tale.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  she  did  what  she  could.  For  the  rest, 
I'll  talk  to  Levi,  Colonel,  be  sure.  I  am  with  you, 
that  we  have  had  too  much  of  this.  But  that  can 
wait.  The  Major  looks  shaken  and  the  sooner  he's 
in  bed  again  the  better.  Never  was  a  man  more 
unlucky!" 

"  I  am  afraid  that  others  have  been  still  more  un 
lucky,"  Marion  said  gravely.  And  I  knew  that  he 
referred  to  some  incident  unknown  to  me.  "But 
you  are  right,  let  us  go.  I  am  anxious  to  see  my 
god-daughter  and  almost  as  anxious  to  see  a  pair  of 
sheets  for  once." 

He  said  good-night  to  the  old  smith  and  we 
started.  Marion  and  Wilmer  rode  ahead,  I  fol 
lowed,  Marion's  two  men  brought  up  the  rear.  So 
we  retraced  the  way  that  I  had  traveled  an  hour 
before  in  stress  of  mind  and  blackness  and  despair. 
The  night  cloaked  me  in  solitude,  stilled  the  fever 
in  my  blood,  laid  its  cool  touch  on  my  heated  brow; 

74 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

and  far  be  it  from  me  to  deny  that  I  hastened  to 
render  thanks  where,  above  all,  thanks  were  due.  I 
had  been  long  enough  in  this  land  of  immense  dis 
tances,  of  wide  rivers  and  roadless  forests  —  where 
in  our  little  army  was  sometimes  lost,  as  a  pitch-fork 
in  a  hay-stack  —  to  appreciate  the  thousand  risks 
that  lay  between  us  and  home,  and  to  know  how 
little  a  man  could  command  his  own  fate,  or  secure 
his  own  life. 

Clop,  clop,  went  the  horses'  hoofs.  The 'same 
sound,  yet  how  different  to  my  ears!  The  croak  of 
frogs,  the  swish  of  the  wind  through  the  wild  mul 
berries,  the  murmur  of  the  little  rill  we  crossed  — 
how  changed  was  the  note  in  all!  Deep  gratitude, 
a  solemn  peace  set  me  apart,  and  hallowed  my 
thoughts.  How  delicious  seemed  the  darkness,  how 
sweet  the  night  scents  —  no  magnolia  on  the  coast 
was  sweeter!  —  how  fresh  the  passing  air! 

But  as  water  finds  its  level,  so,  soon  or  late,  a 
man's  mind  returns  to  its  ordinary  course.  Before 
we  reached  the  house,  short  as  was  the  distance, 
other  thoughts,  and  one  in  particular,  took  posses 
sion  of  me.  What  face  would  the  girl  put  on  what 
had  happened?  How  would  she  act?  How  would 
she  bear  herself  to  them?  And  to  me? 

True,  I  had  shielded  her  as  far  as  lay  in  my  power. 
I  had  given  way  to  a  passing  impulse  and  had  lied; 

75 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

partly  in  order  that  her  father  might  not  learn  the 
full  callousness  of  her  conduct,  partly  because  I 
wished  to  see  her  punished,  and  I  felt  sure  that  no 
punishment  would  touch  her  pride  so  sharply  as 
the  knowledge  that  I  had  been  silent  and  had 
not  deigned  to  betray  her.  I  wanted  to  see  her 
punished,  but  even  before  revenge  came  curiosity. 
How  would  she  bear  herself,  whether  I  spoke  or  were 
silent?  Would  she  own  the  truth  to  her  father? 
Would  she  own  it  to  Marion  of  whom,  I  suspected, 
she  stood  in  greater  awe?  And,  if  she  did  not, 
how  would  she  carry  it  off?  How  would  she 
look  me  in  the  face,  whether  I  spoke,  or  were 
silent? 

As  we  drew  up  to  the  house  the  lighted  windows 
still  shone  on  the  night,  and  a  troop  of  dogs,  roused 
by  our  approach,  came  barking  round  us,  after  the 
southern  fashion.  But  no  one  appeared,  no  one  met 
us;  doubtless  the  white  men  had  ordered  the  negroes 
to  keep  to  their  quarters.  Wilmer,  who  was  the 
first  to  reach  the  ground,  helped  me  to  dismount. 
"But  keep  behind  us  a  minute,"  he  said.  "We 
need  not  give  my  daughter  a  fright." 

I  assented  gladly,  hugging  myself;  I  was  to  see  a 
comedy!  I  stood  back,  and  Marion  and  Wilmer 
mounted  the  porch  and  opened  the  door.  Cries  of 
alarm  greeted  them,  but  these  quickly  gave  place  to 

76 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

exclamations  of  joy,  to  cries  of  "Missie!  Missie, 
he  come!  Marse  Wilmer  come!" 

I  pressed  up  to  the  doorway  to  see  what  was  pass 
ing.  Mammy  Jacks  was  pounding  at  the  door  of  an 
inner  room  —  doubtless  her  mistress's.  The  other 
women  with  the  vehemence  of  their  race  were  kiss 
ing  the  Master's  hand  and  even  his  clothes. 
"Steady!  Steady!"  Wilmer  was  saying,  "Don't 
frighten  her!"  And  he  raised  his  voice, 

"Con,  it's  I!"  he  cried.  "All  is  well,  jrirl.  Here's 
a  visitor  to  see  you!" 

She  appeared.  But  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  this  was 
not  the  same  girl  who  on  the  night  of  my  arrival 
had  met  Wilmer  with  flying  skirts  and  cries  of  joy. 
This  girl  came  out,  pale,  shrinking,  frightened. 
True,  in  a  breath  she  was  in  her  father's  arms,  she 
was  sobbing  in  abandonment  on  his  shoulder.  But, 
believe  me,  in  that  short  interval  my  desire  for  ven 
geance  had  taken  flight;  it  had  vanished  at  the  first 
sight  of  her  face.  The  sooner  she  knew  that  I  was 
safe,  the  better!  I  did  not  understand  her,  she  was 
beyond  my  comprehension,  she  was  still  a  puzzle. 
But  I  knew  that  she  had  suffered,  and  was  suffering 
still. 

"There,  honey,  all's  well,  all's  well!"  Wilmer  said, 
soothing  her.  I  think  that  for  the  time  he  had  com 
pletely  forgotten  me  and  my  affairs.  "What  is  it? 

77 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

What's  amiss,  child?  Here's  your  god-father  —  a 
big  man  now!  Look  up,  here's  Marion!" 

On  that  I  crept  away.  I  felt  that  I  ought  not  to 
be  looking  on.  It  seemed  to  be  a  —  well,  I  gave  it 
no  name,  but  I  felt  that  I  had  no  right  to  be  there,  and 
I  went  down  into  the  darkness  below  the  veranda, 
and  stood  a  dozen  yards  away  where  I  could  not 
hear  what  passed,  or  could  hear  only  the  one  sharp 
cry  that  the  news  of  my  safety  drew  from  her. 
Marion's  men  had  taken  the  horses  round  to  the 
cabins,  and  I  was  alone.  I  had  the  puzzle  to  amuse 
me  still,  if  I  chose  to  work  upon  it;  and  I  had 
leisure.  But  it  was  no  longer  to  my  taste  and  not 
many  minutes  passed  before  Wilmer  summoned  me. 

I  had  no  choice  then,  I  had  to  go  up  into  the  room. 
But  so  changed  were  my  feelings  in  regard  to  this 
girl  that  I  loathed  the  necessity.  I  was  as  unwill 
ing  to  face  her,  as  unwilling  to  shame  her,  as  if  I 
had  been  the  criminal.  I  would  have  given  many 
guineas  to  be  a  hundred  miles  away. 

I  might  have  spared  my  scruples  for  she  was  not 
there,  she  was  not  to  be  seen.  Instead,  I  met  the 
men's  eyes;  they  glanced  at  me,  then  away  again. 
They  looked  disconcerted.  For  my  part  I  affected 
to  be  dazzled  by  the  light.  "It  has  been  a  little  too 
much  for  my  daughter,"  Wilmer  said.  "I  don't 
quite  understand  what  happened,"  he  continued 

78 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

awkwardly,  "but  she  seems  to  think,  Major  —  she 
seems  to  have  got  it  into  her  head  — " 

"It  was  a  shock  to  Miss  Wilmer,"  I  said.  "And 
no  wonder!  I  am  not  the  steadier  for  it  myself." 

"Just  so,"  he  replied  slowly.  "Of  course.  But 
she's  got  an  idea  that  she  did  not  do  all  — " 

"I  hope  that  they  did  not  strike  her,"  I  said. 

It  was  a  happy  thought.  It  suggested  a  state  of 
things,  wholly  different  from  that  which  was  in  their 
minds.  Wilmer's  face  lightened.  "What?"  he 
said.  "Do  you  mean  that  there  was  any  appear 
ance  of  —  of  that?" 

"A  cur  like  that!"  I  said  contemptuously.  "A 
devil  of  a  fellow  in  a  tavern!"  'I  looked  at  Marion 
whose  silence  and  steady  gaze  embarrassed  me. 
"Or  among  women!" 

"Ah!" 

"But  you  must  pardon  me,"  I  said.  "I  am  done. 
I  must  lie  down  or  I  shall  fall  down.  My  shoulder 
is  in  Hades.  For  God's  sake,  Wilmer,  let  me  go  to 
bed,"  I  continued  peevishly  —  and  indeed  I  was  at 
the  end  of  my  strength.  "You  are  worse  than  Levi 
and  company!" 

They  were  puzzled  I  think.  They  could  not 
make  my  story  tally  with  the  words  that  had  escaped 
her.  But,  thus  adjured,  they  had  no  choice  except 
to  drop  the  subject,  and  attend  to  me.  I  was 

79 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

helped  to  bed,  Tom  was  summoned,  my  shoulder 
was  eased,  I  was  fed.  And  they  no  doubt  had  other 
and  more  important  things  to  consider  than  how  to 
reconcile  two  accounts  of  a  matter  which  was  at  an 
end  and  had  lost  its  importance.  I  heard  them 
talking  far  into  the  night.  Their  voices,  subdued 
to  the  note  of  caution,  were  my  lullaby,  soothed  me 
to  slumber,  went  murmuring  with  me  into  the 
land  of  dreams.  While  they  talked  of  ferries  and 
night  attacks,  of  Greene  replacing  Gage,  of  this 
man's  defection  or  that  man's  persistence,  of  our 
weakness  here  and  strength  there,  of  what  might  be 
looked  for  from  the  northern  province  and  what 
might  be  feared  in  Georgia,  I  was  far  away  by  the 
Coquet,  listening  to  the  music  of  its  waters,  soothed 
by  the  hum  of  moorland  bees.  The  vast  and 
troubled  ocean  that  rolled  between  my  home  and 
me  was  forgotten.  Alas,  of  the  many  thousands 
who  crossed  that  ocean  with  me,  how  few  were  ever 
to  return!  How  few  were  destined  to  see  the  old 
country  again! 

Late  in  the  night  I  awoke  and  sat  up,  sweating 
and  listening,  my  arm  throbbing  violently.  And  so 
it  was  with  me  until  morning,  fatigue  imposing 
sleep,  and  jarred  nerves  again  snatching  me  from  it. 
At  last  I  fell  into  a  calmer  state,  and  awoke  to  find 
the  sun  up  and  Marion  standing  beside  me.  His 

80 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

bearing   was   changed,   he   was   again  the  leader, 
watchful,  distant,  a  little  punctilious. 

"I  make  no  apology  for  rousing  you,"  he  said. 
"I  have  to  leave.  I  have  discussed  your  position 
with  Captain  Wilmer  and  he  will  be  guided  by  my 
advice.  I  could  take  you  north  to-day  and  see  that 
you  were  conveyed  safely  to  our  Headquarters; 
but  you  are  in  no  condition  to  travel.  It  would  be 
barbarous  to  suggest  it.  I  propose  therefore  to 
leave  you  here.  In  a  month  I  or  some  of  my  people 
will  be  passing,  and  the  opportunity  may  then  serve. 
In  the  meantime  I  must  ask  you  to  give  me  your 
parole  not  to  escape,  while  you  remain  here." 

"Willingly,"  I  said.  "From  the  present  moment, 
Colonel  Marion,  until  —  it  is  well  to  be  exact?" 

"Until  I  take  you  into  my  charge,"  he  replied 
rather  grimly.  "  Once  in  my  hands,  Major,  I  will 
give  you  leave  to  escape  if  you  can." 

"Agreed,"  I  said  laughing.  "Have  you  the 
paper?" 

He  handed  it  to  me.  While  he  brought  the  ink 
to  the  bedside,  I  read  the  form  and  found  it  on  all 
fours  with  what  he  had  said.  I  signed  it  as  well  as 
I  could  with  my  left  hand  —  the  exertion  was  not 
a  slight  one.  Then,  "One  moment,"  I  said,  my 
hand  still  on  the  paper,  "How  am  I  to  be  saved 
from  a  repetition  of  yesterday's  outrage?" 

81 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"It  will  not  be  repeated,"  he  answered,  his  face 
stern.  "I  have  taken  steps  to  secure  that."  I 
handed  him  the  paper.  "Very  good,"  he  continued. 
"That  is  settled  then?" 

"No,"  I  said,  "not  until  I  have  thanked  you  for 
an  intervention  which  saved  my  life." 

"The  good  fortune  was  mine,"  he  replied  courte 
ously.  And  then  with  feeling,  "Would  to  God,"  he 
cried,  "that  I  could  have  saved  all  as  I  saved  you! 
There  have  been  dreadful  things  done,  damnable 
things,  sir,  in  the  last  week.  The  things  that  make 
war  —  which  between  you  and  me  is  clean  — 
abominable!  And  they  are  as  stupid  as  they  are 
cruel,  whether  they  are  done  by  your  people  or  by 
mine!  They  are  the  things  of  which  we  shall  both 
be  ashamed  some  day.  For  my  part,"  he  continued, 
"  I  believe  that  if  the  war  had  been  waged  on  either 
side,  with  as  much  good  sense  as  a  Charles  Town 
merchant,  Horry  or  Pinkney,  brings  to  his  everyday 
business,  the  States  would  have  been  conquered  or 
reconciled  these  twelve  months  past!  Or  on  the 
other  hand  there  would  not  have  been  one  English 
soldier  south  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to-day!" 

I  smiled.  "My  commission  only  permits  me  to 
agree  to  the  first  of  your  alternatives,"  I  said. 
"But  I  owe  you  a  vast  deal  more  than  agreement. 
I  won't  say  much  about  it,  but  if  I  can  ever  serve 

82 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

you,  I   hope,  Colonel  Marion,  that  you  will  com 
mand  me." 

"I  accept  the  offer,"  he  said  frankly.  "Some 
day  perhaps  I  shall  call  upon  you  to  make  it  good." 
And  then,  "You  were  with  General  Burgoyne's 
force,  were  you  not?" 

"I  was,"  I  answered.  "I  was  on  his  staff,  and 
surrendered  with  him  at  Saratoga.  I  have  been 
—  unlucky." 

"Confoundedly  unlucky!"  he  rejoined  with  feel 
ing.  "North  and  South!" 

"Miss  Wilmer,"  I  began  impulsively,  "seemed 
to  think — ,"  and  then  I  stopped.  Why  had  I 
brought  in  her  name?  What  folly  had  led  me 
into  mentioning  her? 

He  ^saw  that  I  paused  and  he  shrugged  his 
shoulders.  He  seemed  to  be  willing  to  let  it  pass. 
Then  he  changed  his  mind,  and  spoke.  "  Do  you 
know  her  story?  "  he  asked.  "  She  lost  her  mother 
very  unhappily.  Mrs.  Wilmer  was  staying  for  her 
health  at  Norfolk  in  Virginia  in  '76,  when  your 
people  bombarded  it  —  an  open  town,  my  friend. 
The  poor  lady,  shelterless  and  in  such  clothes  as 
she  could  snatch  up,  died  later  of  ^exposure.  My 
god-daughter  was  devoted  to  her,  as  she  is  to  her 
father.  Women  feel  these  things  deeply.  Can 
you  wonder?  " 

83 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"  No,"  I  said  gravely.  "  I  don't  wonder.  I 
knew  nothing  of  this." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  that  is  not  all,"  he 
went  on.  "  Her  only  brother,  a  lad  of  eighteen, 
fell  into  your  hands  in  the  attack  on  Savannah. 
He  was  embarked,  with  other  prisoners,  for  the 
West  Indies.  He  has  not  been  heard  of  since,  and 
whether  he  is  alive  or  dead,  God  knows.  These 
things  eat  into  the  heart.  Do  you  wonder?  " 

"No,"  I  said,  earnestly,  "I  don't!  But  in 
heaven's  name  why  did  they  not  tell  me?  I  am 
known  to  the  Commander  in  Chief,  I  have  some 
small  influence.  I  could  at  least  make  inquiries 
for  them.  Do  they  suppose  that  after  the  treat 
ment  I  have  received  at  Captain  Wilmer's  hands 

—  though  it  be  no  more  than  the  laws  of  war  require 

—  do  they  suppose  that  I  would  not  do  what  I 
could?  " 

He  looked  at  me  a  little  quizzically,  a  little  sor 
rowfully.  "I  am  afraid,"  he  said,  "that  all  British 
officers  —  and  all  British  sympathizers  —  are  not 
like  you.  They  have  come  here  to  deal  with  rebels." 
His  face  grew  stern.  "  They  forget  that  their  grand- 
sires  were  rebels  a  hundred  years  ago,  their  great 
grandsires  thirty  years  before  —  and  rebels  on 
much  the  same  grounds.  They  think  that  nothing 
becomes  them  but  severity.  Ah,  we  have  had  bitter 

84 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

experiences,  Major  Craven,  and  I  do  not  deny  it, 
some  nobles  ones!  Your  Lord  Cornwallis  means 
well,  but  he  has  much  to  learn,  and  he  has  made 
big  mistakes." 

I  evaded  that.     "I  will  write  at  once,"  I  said. 

He  raised  his  head  sharply.  "No!"  he  replied. 
"I  am  afraid,  I  must  put  an  embargo  on  that.  I 
have  to  think  of  Wilmer,  and  — "  He  checked 
himself.  "  He  does  not  want  a  troop  of  horse  to  pay 
him  a  visit,"  he  added,  rather  lamely. 

"Of  course,  I  should  not  say  where  I  was,"  I 
answered,  a  little  piqued.  "Captain  Wilmer  may 
see  the  letter." 

"Of  necessity,"  Marion  rejoined  dryly.  "But 
there  are  circumstances"  — he  hesitated  —  "this  is 
a  peculiar  case,  and  I  can  run  no  risks.  There 
must  be  no  writing,  Major  Craven.  I  will  see 
that  news  of  your  safety  is  sent  in  to  Winns- 
boro'." 

"Lord  Cornwallis  is  at  Charlotte." 

"He  was,"  Marion  replied  with  a  smile.  "But 
your  affair  at  King's  Mountain  has  touched  him  in  a 
tender  place,  and  yesterday  he  was  reported  to  be 
falling  back  on  Winnsboro'  as  fast  as  he  could.  In 
any  case,  word  shall  be  sent  to  his  quarters  wherever 
they  are,  that  you  are  wounded,  and  in  safe  hands. 
That  will  meet  your  wishes?" 

85 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"I  am  afraid  it  must,"  I  said  grudgingly.  "If 
you  insist?" 

"I  do,"  he  said.  "It  may  seem  harsh,  but  I  have 
reasons.  I  have  reasons.  It  is  a  peculiar  case. 
And  now,  good-bye,  sir.  In  a  month  I  hope  to 
travel  north  with  you." 

"  Or  rather  I  with  you,"  I  said,  sighing. 

"It's  the  fortune  of  war,"  he  replied  with  a  shrug, 
and  that  alert  movement  of  the  hands  which  some 
times  betrayed  his  French  origin.  "Wilmer  is  go 
ing  with  me  to-day,  but  he  will  return  to-morrow 
or  the  next  day.  Then  you  will  have  company." 

He  took  his  leave  then,  and  though  he  had  treated 
me  handsomely  and  I  had  reason  to  be  grateful  to 
him,  I  looked  after  him  with  envy.  He  was  free,  he 
was  about  to  take  the  road,  he  had  plans;  the  world 
was  before  him,  already  a  reputation  was  his.  And 
I  lay  here,  useless,  chained  by  the  leg,  a  prisoner  for 
the  second  time.  I  knew  that  I  ought  to  be  thank 
ful;  I  had  my  life,  where  many  had  perished,  and 
by  and  by,  I  should  be  grateful.  But  as  I  thought  of 
him  trailing  over  the  flanks  of  the  wind-swept  hills, 
or  filing  through  the  depths  of  the  pine-barrens, 
or  cantering  over  the  wide,  scented  savannahs,  my 
soul  pined  to  go  with  him;  pined  for  freedom,  for 
action,  for  the  vast  spaces  with  which  two  years 
had  made  me  familiar.  That  I  sighed  for  these 

86 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

rather  than  for  home  or  friends  was  a  token  perhaps 
of  returning  strength;  or  it  may  be  that  the  sight  of 
this  man,  who  within  a  few  months  had  written  his 
name  so  deeply  on  events,  had  roused  my  ambition. 

Be  the  cause  what  it  might  I  found  the  day  end 
less.  It  was  in  vain  that  Tom  fretted  me  with 
attentions;  I  was  useless,  I  was  a  log,  any  one 
might  look  down  on  me.  To  be  taken  twice! 
Could  a  man  of  spirit  be  taken  twice?  No,  it  was 
too  much.  It  was  bad  enough  to  stand  for  that 
which  was  hateful,  without  also  standing  for  that 
which  was  contemptible. 

It  was  a  grey  rainy  day  such  as  we  have  in  Eng 
land  in  July  after  a  spell  of  heat;  soft  and  perfumed, 
grateful  to  those  abroad  but  dull  to  the  house 
bound.  And  Wilmer  was  gone.  I  heard  no  voices 
in  the  house,  no  spinning-wheel,  the  business  of  the 
plantation  was  no  longer  transacted  within  my  hear 
ing.  There  was  nothing  to  distract  me,  less  to 
amuse  me.  I  fumed  and  fretted.  When  my  eyes 
fell  on  the  Bible  which  Madam  Constantia  had  sent 
me,  it  failed  to  provoke  a  smile.  Instead,  the  sight 
chilled  me.  How  deep  must  be  the  enmity,  how 
stern  the  purpose  that  could  foresee  the  night's 
work,  and  foreseeing  could  still  send  that  book! 

I  asked  Tom  if  I  could  get  up.  He  answered  that 
I  might  get  up  on  the  morrow.  Not  to-day. 

87 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"But  I  am  feeling  much  stronger,"  I  said. 

"Want  no  flust'ations,"  he  replied.  "Marse  take 
dose  sassaf  ac  tea  now." 

I  swore  at  him  and  his  sassafras  tea.  "You  v'ey 
big  man  ter-day,"  Mammy  Jacks  said. 

"And  pickaninny  yesterday,"  I  rejoined  angrily. 

This  time  she  did  not  answer.  Instead  she 
grinned  at  me. 

Presently,  "Isn't  Miss  Wilmer  well?"  I  asked. 

"She  sorter  poorly,"  Mammy  Jacks  said.  "She 
skeered  by  dat  low  white  trash,"  with  a  side  glance 
at  me,  to  see  how  I  took  it. 

"Isn't  she  afraid  that  they  may  return?"  I  asked. 

"Marse  Marion  see  to  dat,"  the  woman  said, 
with  pride.  "  He  mighty  big  man.  He  say  de  wud, 
dey  not  come  widin  miles  o'  the  Bluff!  You  des 
hev  de  luck  uv  de  worl', "  Mammy  Jacks  continued. 
"Dey  hang  nine,  ten  your  folks  day  befo'  yistiddy." 

"Oh,  confound  you,  you  black  raven!"  I  cried, 
"Leave  me  alone." 

It  was  grim  news;  and  for  a  time  it  upset  me  com 
pletely.  For  a  while  the  service  which  Marion  had 
done  me  and  Wilmer's  humanity  were  alike  swept 
from  my  mind  by  a  rush  of  anger.  The  resentment 
which  such  acts  breed  carried  me  away,  as  it  had 
carried  away  better  men  before  me.  I  cursed  the 
rebels.  I  longed  to  strike  a  blow  at  them,  I  longed 

88 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

to  crush  them.  I  hated  them.  But  what  could  I 
do,  maimed  and  captive  as  I  was?  What  could  I 
do?  Too  soon  the  wave  of  anger  passed  and  left 
behind  it  a  depression,  a  despondency  that  the  grey 
evening  and  the  silent  house  deepened.  I  had 
escaped,  I  had  been  spared.  But  they,  who  might 
have  been  as  helpless  and  as  innocent  as  myself,  and 
guilty  only  of  owning  the  same  allegiance,  had  suf 
fered  this!  It  was  hard  to  think  of  the  deed  with 
patience,  it  was  pain  to  think  of  it  at  all;  and  I  was 
thankful  when  at  last  the  night  came,  and  I  could 
turn  my  face  to  the  wall  and  sleep. 

But  no  man  is  fit  to  be  a  soldier  who  cannot  snatch 
the  pleasures  of  the  passing  moment;  and  when  the 
next  day  saw  me  out  of  doors,  when  I  found  myself 
established  on  the  veranda  and  the  view  broke  upon 
me,  liquid  with  early  sunshine,  and  my  gaze  travelled 
from  the  green  slopes  that  fringed  the  farther  bank 
of  the  creek  to  the  wooded  hills  and  so  to  the 
purple  distances  of  the  Blue  Ridge  —  the  boundary 
in  those  days  of  civilization  —  I  felt  that  life  was 
still  worth  living  and  worth  preserving.  From  the 
house,  which  stood  long  and  low  on  a  modest  bluff, 
a  pasture,  shaded  by  scattered  catalpas,  dropped 
down  to  the  water,  which  a  cattle  track  crossed  under 
my  eyes.  On  the  left,  in  the  direction  of  the  smithy, 
the  plantation  fields  lay  along  the  slope,  broken  by 

89 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

t£& 

clumps  of  live  oaks  and  here  and  there  disfigured 
by  stumps.  On  the  right  a  snake-fence,  draped  with 
branches  of  the  grape-vine,  enclosed  an  attempt  at 
a  garden,  which  a  magnolia  that  climbed  one  end  of 
the  veranda  and  a  fig  tree  that  was  splayed  against 
the  other,  did  something  to  reinforce.  All  under 
my  eyes  was  rough  and  plain;  the  place  differed  from 
the  stately  mansions  on  the  Ashley  River  or  the 
Cooper,  as  Wilmer  himself  differed  from  the  scarlet- 
coated,  periwigged  beaux  of  Charles  Town,  or  as  our 
home-farm  in  England  differed  from  Osgodby  it 
self.  But  a  simple  comfort  marked  the  homestead, 
the  prospect  was  entrancing,  and  what  was  still  new 
and  crude  in  the  externals  of  the  house,  the  beauty 
of  a  semi-tropical  vegetation  was  hastening  to  veil. 
At  a  glance  one  saw  that  the  Bluff  was  one  of  those 
up-country  settlements  which  men  of  more  enterprise 
than  means  were  at  this  time  pushing  over  the  hills 
towards  the  Tennessee  and  the  Ohio. 

That  Wilmer  was  such  a  pioneer  I  had  no  doubt, 
though  I  judged  that  he  had  more  behind  him  than  a 
dead  level  of  poverty.  Indeed  I  found  evidence  of 
this  on  the  little  table  that  had  been  set  for  me  beside 
my  cane  chair.  It  bore  a  jug  of  spring  water,  some 
limes,  and  a  book  in  two  volumes.  I  fell  on  the  book 
eagerly.  It  was  The  Rambler,  published  in  London 
in  1767.  Now  for  a  house  on  the  distant  Catawba 

90 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

to  possess  a  copy  of  The  Rambler  imported  some 
education  and  even  some  refinement. 

No  one  but  the  girl  could  have  put  the  book  there; 
and  had  she  done  this  before  the  news  of  the  murder 
of  my  comrades  reached  me  I  should  have  received 
the  act  in  a  different  spirit.  I  should  have  asked 
myself  with  interest  in  what  mood  she  proffered  the 
boon,  and  how  she  intended  it;  whether  as  an  over 
ture  towards  peace,  or  a  mere  civility,  rendered  per 
force  when  it  could  no  longer  be  withheld. 

But  now  I  was  too  sore  to  find  pleasure  in  such 
questions.  What  softer  thoughts  I  had  entertained 
of  her,  thoughts  that  her  agitation  and  her  remorse  on 
the  evening  of  the  outrage  had  engendered  in  me, 
were  gone  for  the  time.  I  found  her  treatment  of 
me,  viewed  by  the  light  of  other  events,  too  cruel; 
I  found  it  too  much  on  a  par  with  the  acts  of  those 
who  had  murdered  my  comrades  in  cold  blood.  I 
forgot  the  story  of  her  mother  and  her  brother. 
I  believed  even  that  I  did  not  wish  to  see  her. 

For  I  had  not  yet  seen  her.  As  I  passed  through 
the  living-room  I  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  Miss 
Lyddy's  back;  who,  unprepared  for  my  visit,  had 
fled  and  slammed  a  door  upon  me,  as  if  I  were  in 
deed  the  French.  The  negro  women  had  grinned 
and  curtsied  and  cried,  "Lord's  sake!"  and  fussed 
about  me,  and  been  scolded  by  Mammy  Jacks. 

91 


MADAM    CONSTANTIAk 

But  of  the  girl  I  had  seen  nothing  as  I  passed 
through. 

Doubtless  she  was  on  the  plantation  taking  her 
father's  place  and  managing  for  him.  And  doubt 
less,  too,  I  must  presently  see  her.  For  at  the  far 
ther  end  of  the  veranda,  where  the  glossy  leaves 
of  the  magnolia  draped  the  pillars  and  deepened  the 
shade,  was  a  second  encampment,  a  chair,  a  table, 
a  work-basket;  and  beside  these  a  spinning-wheel 
and  an  old  hound.  Nor  even  if  she  shunned  this 
spot,  could  she  long  avoid  me.  Though  I  sat  re 
mote  from  the  doorway,  no  one  could  enter  or  leave 
the  house  without  passing  under  my  eyes. 

I  fancied  that  after  what  had  passed  she  would  not 
be  able  to  meet  me  without  embarrassment,  and  for 
this  reason,  she  might  choose  to  surprise  me;  she 
might  come  out  of  the  house  and  appear  at  my  elbow. 
But  two  hours  passed,  the  beauties  of  Johnson  were 
losing  their  charm,  even  the  prospect  was  beginning 
to  pall  on  me,  and  still  she  did  not  come.  Then  at 
last  I  saw  her  on  the  farther  side  of  the  creek,  coming 
down  to  the  ford  —  a  slender  figure  in  white,  wearing 
a  broad  hat  of  palmetto  leaves.  A  black  boy  carry 
ing  a  basket  ran  at  her  side  and  two  or  three  dogs 
scampered  about  her.  She  was  armed  with  a  switch, 
and  she  crossed  the  stream  by  a  line  of  stepping- 
stones  that  flanked  the  ford. 

92 


THE    SWAMP    FOX 

I  watched  her  with  a  mixture  of  curiosity  and  in 
dignation,  as  she  tripped  from  stone  to  stone.  She 
had  to  mount  the  slope  under  my  eyes,  and  I  had 
time  to  wonder  what  she  would  do.  Would  she 
come  to  me  and  speak?  Or  would  she  pass  me  with 
a  bow  and  enter  the  house?  Or  would  she  ignore 
me  altogether? 

She  did  none  of  these  things.  I  think  that  she 
had  made  up  her  mind  to  bow  to  me  as  she  passed. 
For  at  one  point,  where  she  was  nearer  to  me,  she 
wavered  ever  so  little,  as  if  she  were  going  to  turn 
to  me.  Then  a  flood  of  red  dyed  her  face,  and 
blushing  painfully,  sensible  I  am  sure  of  my  gaze, 
but  with  her  head  high,  she  crossed  the  veranda  and 
entered  the  house. 

"Well,  at  least  she  can  feel!"  I  thought.  And  if 
I  regretted  anything,  it  was  not  that  I  had  stared 
at  her,  but  that  she  might  not  now  choose  to  come 
to  me.  She  would  not  soon  forgive  the  humiliation 
of  her-hot  cheeks. 


93 


CHAPTER  VI 

ON  PAROLE 

"But  who  can  tell  what  cause  had  that  fair  maid 
To  me  him  so  that  loved  her  so  well"? 

SPENCER. 

A  moment  later  the  girl  proved  that  her  sensibility 
was  less  or  her  courage  higher  than  my  estimate,  for 
just  as  I  had  pictured  a  little  earlier,  she  surprised 
me.  I  found  her  at  my  elbow,  and  I  rose  to  my  feet. 
Unluckily  as  I  did  so,  I  struck  my  injured  arm  against 
the  chair,  and  she  —  winced. 

That  might  have  disarmed  me,  but  it  did  not.  I 
remembered  the  nine  men  who  had  been  murdered 
in  cold  blood,  and  I  thought  of  my  narrow  escape; 
after  all  I  was  not  a  dog  to  be  hung  without  ceremony 
and  buried  in  a  ditch!  And  now  she  was  in  my 
power,  now,  if  ever,  was  the  time  to  bring  home 
to  her  what  she  had  done.  Still,  she  was  a  woman, 
I  owed  her  courtesy,  and  I  endeavored  to  speak  with 
politeness.  "I  see  that  you  are  more  merciful," 
I  said,  bowing,  "in  fact  than  in  intention,  Miss 
Wilmer. " 

Her  agitation  was  such  —  she  did  not  try  to  hide 
94 


ON    PAROLE 

it  —  that  for  a  moment  she  could  not  speak.  Then 
"If  you  knew  all,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice,  "you 
would  know  that  I  had  grounds  for  what  I  did,  Sir. " 

"That  you  had  good  grounds,  I  cannot  believe," 
I  answered.  "And  for  knowing  all,  I  think  I  do. 
I  know  that  you  have  suffered.  I  know  that  you 
have  lost  your  mother  and  your  brother.  I  know 
that  you  have  grievances,  sad  grievances  it  may 
be  against  us. " 

"You  don't  know  all,"  she  repeated  more  firmly. 

"But  I  know  enough,"  I  rejoined  —  I  was  not 
to  be  moved  from  my  purpose  now.  "I  know 
that  I  was  your  father's  prisoner  and  your  guest; 
and  that  you  stood  aside,  you  did  not  raise  a 
hand,  not  a  finger  to  save  me,  Miss  Wilmer.  You 
did  not  speak,  though  a  word  might  have  availed, 
and  I  believe  would  have  availed  to  preserve  me! 
You  let  me  go  out  to  a  cruel  death,  you  turned  your 
back  on  me  — " 

"Oh,  don't!   don't!"   she  cried. 

"You  quail  at  the  picture,"  I  retorted.  "I  do 
not  wonder  that  you  do.  I  was  your  guest,  I  was 
wounded,  I  was  in  pain,  alone.  Has  a  man,  when 
he  is  maimed  and  laid  aside,  no  claim  on  a  woman? 
No  claim  on  her  forbearance,  on  her  pity,  on  her  pro 
tection?  For  shame,  Miss  Wilmer!"  I  continued 
warmly,  carried  farther  than  I  intended  by  my 

95 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

feelings.  "Men,  when  their  blood  is  hot,  will  plan 
things,  and  do  things,  God  knows,  that  are  abomi 
nable.  But  for  a  woman  to  consent  to  such,  and, 
when  it  is  too  late,  to  think  that  by  a  few  tears  she 
can  make  up  for  them  — " 

"Stop!"  she  cried  —  I  suppose  that  I  had  gone  too 
far,  for  she  faced  me  now,  hardily  enough.  "You 
understand  nothing,  sir!  Nothing!  So  little  that 
you  will  scarcely  believe  me  when  I  say  that  if 
the  thing  were  to  do  again — I  would  do  it." 

"I  cannot  believe  you,"  I  said  coldly. 

"It  is  true." 

I  stared  at  her;  and  she  returned  my  look  with  a 
strange  mixture  of  shame  and  defiance.  "Why?" 
I  said  at  last.  "In  heaven's  name,  why,  Miss  Wil- 
mer?  What  have  I  done  to  you?  Your  mother  I 
know.  But  had  I  a  hand  in  it  ?  God  forbid !  Was  I 
within  a  hundred  miles  of  it?  No.  Your  brother 
—  and  there  again,  I  find  that  hard  to  forgive.  Your 
father  had  spared  my  life,  sheltered  me,  brought  me 
here;  could  you  not  believe  that  I  was  grateful? 
Could  you  not  believe  that  I  would  do  much  to 
serve  him  and  something  to  repay  him?  That  all 
that  it  was  in  my  power  to  do  for  your  brother,  by 
my  exertions  or  my  influence,  I  would  do?  But 
you  did  not  tell  me.  You  did  not  ask  me?" 

"No,  "she  said. 

96 


ON    PAROLE 

"Why?"  I  asked  bluntly.  She  did  not  answer. 
"Why?"  I  repeated.  I  was  at  the  end  of  my  anger. 
I  had  said  what  was  in  my  mind  and  said  it  with  all 
the  severity  I  could  wish.  And  I  was  sure  that  I 
had  made  her  suffer.  Now  I  wanted  to  understand. 
I  sought  for  light  upon  her.  There  was  a  puzzle  here 
and  I  had  not  the  clue. 

But  she  stood  mute.  Pale,  forbidding,  not  avoid 
ing  my  eyes  but  rather  challenging  them,  and  very 
handsome  in  her  sullenness,  she  confronted  me.  At 
last,  as  I  still  waited,  and  still  kept  silence,  she 
spoke.  "And  after  I  had  told  you?"  she  said. 
"If  you  had  offered  help,  would  it  then  have  been 
easier  to  —  to  stand  aside?" 

"And  let  me  go  to  my  death?" 

"Yes,  "she  said. 

"Good  God!"  I  cried.  I  could  not  check  the 
words,  I  was  so  deeply  shocked.  If  she  had  deliber 
ately  considered  that,  she  was  indeed  determined,  she 
was  indeed  ruthless;  and  there  was  nothing  more  to 
be  done.  "I  am  sorry,"  I  said.  "I  had  thought, 
Miss  Wilmer,  that  I  might  say  what  was  in  my  mind 
and  then  let  the  thing  be  as  if  it  had  never  been. 
I  wished  to  speak  and  then  —  to  let  there  be  peace 
between  us.  I  thought  that  we  might  still  come  to 
be  friends.  But  if  we  are  so  far  apart  as  that,  there 
can  be  nothing  between  us,  not  even  forgiveness." 

97 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"  No, "  she  answered — but  her  head  sank  a  little  and 
I  fancied  that  she  spoke  sadly.  ' '  There  can  be  nothing 
between  us.  Nothing,  sir.  We  are  worlds  apart." 

Before  I  could  reply  Mammy  Jacks  came  to  sum 
mon  her.  One  of  the  blacks  wanted  her,  and  she 
broke  off  and  went  into  the  house. 

She  left  me  adrift  on  a  full  tide  of  wonder.  What 
a  woman,  I  thought !  Nay,  what  a  girl,  for  she  was 
not  more  than  twenty,  if  she  were  not  still  in  her  *\ 
teens !  If  all  the  women  on  the  Colonial  side  were 
like  her,  I  thought,  if  but  a  tithe  of  her  spirit  and 
will  were  in  them,  the  chances  of  poor  old  England 
in  the  strife  which  she  had  provoked  were  small 
indeed !  I  could  compare  the  girl  only  to  the  tragic 
heroines  of  the  Bible,  to  Judith,  or  to  Jael,  who  set 
her  hand  to  the  nail  and  her  right  hand  to  the 
hammer.  Very,  very  nearly  had  she  driven  the 
nail  into  my  temple ! 

And  yet  she  had,  she  must  have  a  gentler  side. 
She  had  broken  down  on  that  night,  when  she  thought 
that  the  deed  was  done.  I  could  not  be  mistaken 
In  that;  I  had  seen  her  fling  herself  in  a  passion  of 
remorse  on  her  father's  breast.  And  then  how 
strong,  how  deep  was  the  affection  which  she  felt 
for  that  father!  With  what  tenderness,  with  what 
tears  and  smiles  and  caresses  had  she  flown  to  his 
arms  on  his  return  from  the  field ! 

98 


She  was  a  provoking,  a  puzzling,  a  perplexing 
creature;  and  alas,  she  began  to  fill  far  more  of  my 
thoughts  than  was  her  due.  I  was  idle,  and  I  could 
not  thrust  her  from  them.  Because  she  did  not 
come  near  me  I  dwelt  on  her  the  more.  The  chair 
at  the  other  end  of  the  veranda  remained  empty  all 
that  day  and  the  next,  and  it  was  not  until  noon  of 
the  third  day  that  I  again  had  a  word  with  her. 
Then,  as  she  passed  by  me  with  her  head  high,  she 
saw  that  something  was  lacking  on  the  little  table 
on  which  I  took  my  meals,  and  she  fetched  it  her 
self.  I  wished  to  bring  on  a  discussion;  and  as  she 
set  the  thing  down,"  Thank  you,"  I  said  politely. 
"But  can  I  be  sure  that  I  am  safe  in  eating  this?" 

She  did  not  fire  up  as  I  expected.  "You  think 
that  I  may  poison  you?"  she  said,  making  no  attempt 
to  evade  the  point. 

"Well,  you  told  me,"  I  replied,  somewhat  taken 
back,  "that  you  were  prepared  to  do  it  again,  you 
know?" 

She  sighed.  "If  I  meant  it  then,  I  do  not  mean 
it  now,"  she  said.  "I  have  done  all  that  I  can.  I 
leave  the  rest  to  God !" 

Certainly  she  said  the  most  singular  things ! 
However,  what  surprise  I  felt  I  hid,  and  I  tried  to 
meet  her  on  her  new  ground.  "That  being  so," 
I  said  smoothly,  "why  should  we  not  bury  what  is 

99 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

past  —  for  the  time?  I  have  to  live  for  a  month 
under  your  roof,  Miss  Wilmer.  We  must  see  one 
another,  we  must  meet  hourly  and  daily  whether  we 
will  or  not.  Cannot  you  forget  for  a  month  that  I 
am  an  enemy?" 

"No,"  she  answered  with  the  utmost  directness, 
"You  are  an  enemy.  Why  should  I  pretend  that 
you  are  not?  We  are  rebels  and  we  are  proud  ofr 
the  name.  You  are  of  those  who  are  paid  to  reduce 
us,  to  make  war  on  us"  —  her  color  rose,  her  eyes 
dilated  as  she  spoke  —  "to  burn  our  towns,  to  waste 
our  fields,  to  render  our  old  homeless  and  our  chil 
dren  motherless!  And  why?  Because  you  are 
false  to  your  traditions,  false  to  your  liberties,  false 
to  that  freedom  for  which  your  forefathers  died,  and 
for  which  we  are  dying  to-day !" 

The  spirit,  the  tone,  the  brooding  fire  in  her  eyes 
filled  me  with  admiration.  But  I  was  wise  enough 
to  let  no  trace  of  this  escape  me.  "I  cannot  admit 
that,"  I  said,  "naturally." 

"No,"  she  replied  swiftly.  "Because  you  are 
paid  to  see  it  otherwise. " 

"At  any  rate  you  are  frank,  Miss  Wilmer,"  I 
said.  "And  you  really  do  see  in  me  the  mercenary 
of  a  cruel  tyrant?"  I  smiled  as  I  said  it,  and  I 
flattered  myself  that  the  jest  pierced  her  armor. 
At  any  rate  she  lost  countenance  a  little.  "And  I 

100 


suppose  I  ought  to  see  in  you  a  rebel, "  I  continued. 
"But  it  may  be  that  I  do  not  in  my  heart  think  much 
worse  of  you  for  being  a  rebel.  And  it  is  possible  that 
you  do  not  think  so  very  badly  of  me  for  being  — 
paid!" 

"It  does  not  sound  well,"  she  said  with  disdain. 

"No,"  I  replied.  "Beside  romance,  duty  sounds 
poorly,  and  makes  a  dull  show. " 

"The  tea-duty  does!"  she  exclaimed  viciously  — 
and  saw  before  the  words  were  well  said  that  her 
wit  had  betrayed  her  into  familiarity.  She  col 
ored  with  annoyance 

I  seized  the  chance.  "And  what  of  it?"  I  said. 
"Tolls  and  taxes  and  the  like!  What  are  they  to 
us  here?  If  I  admit  that  a  tax,  which  has  turned 
thirteen  loyal  colonies  into  what  we  see,  was  an  un 
wise  one,  surely,  if  I  admit  that,  you  may  admit 
that  it  is  hard  for  a  proud  nation  to  retrace  its  steps. " 

"I  am  not  concerned  to  admit  anything,"  she 
answered  haughtily. 

"Still  if  that  is  all  that  is  between  us  ?" 

"It  is  not!"  she  exclaimed.  "It  is  not!"  For 
a  moment  she  stood  a  prey  to  strong  agitation. 
Then  she  muttered  again,  "It  is  not  all!"  and  she 
went  deliberately  away  from  me.  But  she  went  like 
one  under  a  heavy  burden  or  the  weight  of  a  dis 
tressing  thought. 

101 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

Still  I  was  not  ill-pleased  with  the  result  of 
our  interview.  She  had  stepped  down  from  her 
pedestal.  She  had  left  for  a  while  the  tragic  plane  on 
which  she  had  hitherto  moved  and  from  which  she 
had  stooped  to  me.  I  had  climbed  a  step  nearer  to 
her.  In  future  she  would  not  find  it  so  easy  to  keep 
me  at  the  distance  that  suited  her  pleasure  and  that^ 
at  the  same  time  whetted  my  curiosity. 

And  perhaps  something  more  than  my  curiosity. 
For  I  could  not  deny  that,  handsome  and  perplexing, 
cold,  yet  capable  of  ardor,  she  had  taken  a  strong 
grip  upon  my  thoughts.  I  could  not  keep  her  out  of 
my  mind  for  an  hour  together.  A  dozen  times  a 
day  I  caught  myself  looking  for  her,  listening  for  the 
sound  of  her  voice,  watching  for  her  appearance. 
The  morning  was  long,  the  hour  dragged  that  brought 
neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  Nay,  there  were 
times  —  I  was  idle,  be  it  remembered,  and  crippled  — 
when  the  desire  to  bridge  the  distance  between  us 
and  to  set  myself  right  with  her  became  a  passion; 
when  I  would  have  given  very  much  for  a  smile  from 
the  averted  face,  or  a  look  from  the  eyes  that  passed 
coldly  by  me. 

It  was  absurd,  but  I  have  said  I  was  idle.  And  yet 
after  all  was  it  so  absurd  ?  I  compared  her  with  the 
women  whom  I  had  known  at  home;  with  the  women 
of  fashion  with  their  red  and  white  cheeks,  their 

102 


ON    PAROLE 

preposterous  headdresses,  their  insipid  talk  of  routs 
and  the  card  table;  or  again  with  our  country-bred 
hoydens,  honest  and  noisy,  with  scarce  an  idea 
beyond  the  stillroom  or  the  annual  race  meeting: 
and  I  found  that  she  rivaled  the  former  in  dignity 
and  the  latter  in  simplicity.  Adorable,  inexorable 
creature,  she  was  well  named  Constantia!  I  was 
glad  —  such  a  hold  was  she  getting  on  my  mind  — 
when  her  father  returned,  two  days  later  than  he  had 
said,  and  brought  news  that  distracted  my  thoughts. 

The  check  at  King's  Mountain  had  stopped  Lord 
Cornwallis  in  his  advance  on  North  Carolina.  He 
had  fallen  back  and  established  himself  again  at 
Winnsboro',  so  that  he  was  still  not  more  than 
sixty  or  seventy  miles  from  us.  "If  your  bone  were 
set,  I  should  send  you  north,  Major,"  Wilmer  said 
with  a  look  more  than  commonly  thoughtful.  "  But 
I  fancy  that  your  friend,  Tarleton,  has  learned  his 
lesson  from  Ferguson,  and  won't  stray  far  from 
Headquarters.  And  now  Greene  has  taken  over 
Gates's  command  —  " 

"Is  that  so?" 

"  It  is  —  he  won't  leave  your  people  so  much  time 
to  look  about  them.  I  do  not  think  that  they  will 
journey  as  far  as  this,  but  if  I  thought  they  would, 
you  would  have  to  travel,  my  friend,  fare  as  you 
might." 

103 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

That  with  a  little  more,  not  to  the  purpose,  was 
the  only  talk  I  had  with  him  for  some  days.  And 
presently  I  conceived  the  idea  that  this  was  no 
accident.  I  began  to  suspect  that  Madam  Con- 
stantia,  not  content  with  sending  me  to  Coventry 
herself,  was  bent  on  keeping  him  from  me.  I  can^e 
even  to  think  that  I  owed  to  this  desire  on  her  part 
the  fact  that  I  now  saw  something,  though  little  more, 
of  her.  For  she  would  interpose  between  us  rather 
than  let  me  talk  to  him.  If  her  father,  as  he  crossed 
the  veranda  or  came  in  from  the  fields  had  the  air 
of  drifting  towards  me,  she  was  sure  to  see  it,  and 
to  draw  him  aside,  sometimes  by  a  word,  more  often 
by  a  look,  rarely  by  speaking  to  me  herself.  More 
than  once  when  he  approached  me  —  he  was  in  his 
cynical  way  a  good-natured  man  —  she  appeared  so 
pat  to  the  occasion  that  I  gave  her  the  credit  of 
watching  us,  and  believed  that  her  eyes  were  upon  me 
more  often  than  I  knew. 

I  fancied  even  that  there  was  an  understanding 
between  them  on  this  point.  For  when  she  sur 
prised  him  in  my  neighborhood,  though  he  might 
have  stood  only  to  say  "Good  morning !"  or  "Good 
fall  weather!"  he  would  wear  an  air  half  guilty  and 
half  humorous,  as  of  a  child  caught  transgressing. 
And  once  when  this  happened,  I  had  a  queer  illusion. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  the  look  of  amusement  that 

104 


ON    PAROLE 

Wilmer  shot  at  the  girl,  and  which  I  was  not  meant 
to  catch,  transformed  his  face  in  the  most  curious 
way.  It  shortened  it,  vulgarized  it,  widened  it. 
For  a  moment  I  saw  him  no  longer  as  the  shrewd, 
lean  Southerner  he  was,  but  as  a  jovial,  easy,  smiling 
person,  for  all  the  world  like  an  English  yeoman  or 
innkeeper.  The  fancy  lasted  for  an  instant  only,  and 
I  set  it  down  to  the  shadow  cast  by  his  hat  or  to  a 
tricky  cast  of  the  sunshine  as  it  shimmered  through 
the  leaves  of  the  magnolia  behind  him.  But  later 
I  thought  of  it  more  than  once.  The  change  in  the 
man,  though  passing,  was  so  great  that  I  should 
not  have  known  him  for  himself;  and  it  haunted  me. 
I  believe  that  it  was  about  three  days  after  this, 
when  he  was  abroad  upon  the  plantation,  on  which 
he  spent  most  of  his  time,  that  Madam  Constantia 
and  I  came  again  to  blows.  Time  lay  heavy  on  my 
hands  —  he  may  be  thankful  who  has  never  known 
the  aimless  hours  and  long  tedium  of  the  prisoner 
—  and  though  I  had  no  prospect  of  forwarding  let 
ters,  I  thought  that  I  would  amuse  myself  by  learn 
ing  to  write  with  my  left  hand.  It  was  not  a  thing 
to  be  done  in  a  moment,  but  Mammy  Jacks  provided 
the  means  and  I  fell  to  the  task  in  the  leisurely  way 
of  an  invalid,  now  scrawling  a  few  words  in  round 
hand,  now  looking  away  to  the  purple  distances  that 
reminded  me  of  our  Cheviots  on  a  fine  October  day, 

105 


and  now  lazily  watching  the  blacks  who  were  trooping 
past,  bringing  in  the  last  of  the  cotton.  It  was 
sunny,  it  was  warm,  and  the  slaves  in  their  scanty 
white  clothes  with  baskets  on  their  heads  foimed  a 
picture  new  to  me.  I  was  gazing  at  it,  pen  in  hand, 
when  the  girl  came  through  the  veranda,  glanced 
my  way,  and  in  a  twinkling  descended  on  me  like  a 
whirlwind. 

She  snatched  away  the  paper  that  lay  under  my 
hand  and  bef  ore,  taken  by  surprise,  I  knew  what  she 
was  about,  she  tore  it  across  and  across. 

"Ungrateful!"  she  cried.  "Have  you  forgotten 
your  parole,  sir?  Were  Colonel  Marion  here,  you 
would  not  dare  to  do  this !" 

"To  do  what?"  I  retorted,  rising  to  my  feet. 
I  was  as  angry  as  she  was.  "What  should  I  not  dare 
to  do?" 

"What  you  are  doing!"  she  rejoined,  her  eyes 
sparkling  and  her  breast  heaving  with  excitement. 

"I  am  learning  to  write  with  my  left  hand.  Why 
not?" 

"Why  not?"  she  exclaimed.  "And  what  did 
you  promise  Colonel  Marion?"  She  pointed  to  the 
paper  which  she  had  flung  on  the  ground.  "What 
did  you  undertake  on  your  honor?" 

"  That  I  would  not  communicate  with  my  friends, " 
I  answered  sternly.  "Nothing  more !" 

106 


ON    PAROLE 

"And  what  are  you  writing?"  she  cried.  But  her 
tone  sank  by  a  note,  and  uncertainty  fluttered  in  her 
eyes. 

"That  is  my  business!"  I  answered.  "What  is 
it  to  you,  pray,  what  I  write?  Or  see !"  I  stooped, 
and  with  difficulty  owing  to  my  stiff  arm,  I  recovered 
one  of  the  scraps  of  paper.  "See!  Satisfy  yourself . 
It  is  but  a  tag  from  the  book  that  you  lent  me. " 

She  took  it.  "'Sure  such  a  various  creature  ne'er 
was  seen!'"  she  read  mechanically,  and  with  a 
falling  face.  " '  Sure  —  ' "  she  stopped. 

"Is  it  sufficiently  harmless?"  I  asked  ironically. 
"Is  there  dishonor  in  it?  At  least  I  can  say  this  — 
I  know  of  no  one  here,  Miss  Wilmer,  to  whom  the 
words  can  be  applied.  From  your  father  I  have 
met  with  consistent  kindness  and  attention.  And 
from  you  equally  consistent  —  but  I  will  not  define 
it.  I  leave  you  to  judge  of  that." 

She  was  now  as  angry,  I  believe,  with  herself  as 
with  me;  but  she  did  not  see  how  she  could  retract 
and  for  that  reason,  whatever  the  original  cause  of 
her  attack,  she  would  not  own  herself  in  the  wrong. 
"  I  believe  there  is  such  a  thing, "  she  said  stubbornly, 
"as  cipher  writing." 

I  stared  at  her  with  all  the  contempt  I  could  throw 
into  my  gaze.  "Cipher  writing!"  I  said.  "Cer 
tainly  I  have  come  into  this  wilderness  to  learn 

107 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

strange  things !  Cipher  writing !  But  enough  — 
and  too  much!"  I  continued  wrathfully.  "I  am 
not  used  to  have  my  honor  doubted.  When  your 
father  returns  I  shall  refer  the  matter  to  him  and  I 
shall  ask  him  if  I  am  to  be  assailed  under  his  roof — 
assailed  in  a  manner  as  insulting  as  it  is  outrageous !" 

"I  will  ask  him  myself,"  she  said  in  a  much  lower 
tone.  "If  I  am  wrong  I  am  sorry.  But  Colonel 
Marion  told  me  — " 

"That  I  was  not  to  communicate  with  my  friends? 
Am  I  doing  it?  But,  no,"  I  concluded  loftily,  "I 
will  not  discuss  it.  I  will  refer  the  matter  to  your 
father." 

And  I  turned  my  back  on  her  without  much 
courtesy  —  the  attack  was  so  wanton,  so  silly!  I 
heard  her  move  away  and  go  into  the  house. 

She  was  crazy,  positively  crazy,  I  thought. 
What  was  it  to  her  whether  I  wrote  or  did  not  write  ? 
What  was  it  to  her  if  I  did  communicate  with  my 
friends?  She  was  not  my  keeper,  she  could  not 
judge  of  the  risk  or  the  importance  of  the  step  which 
Marion  had  forbidden.  Placed  as  we  were  within 
less  than  seventy  miles  of  the  British  Headquarters 
and  within  the  scope  of  a  cavalry  raid,  he  was 
doubtless  right  in  making  the  stipulation.  But 
what  did  she  know  of  it?  What  was  it  to  her? 
Why  should  she  attach  importance  to  the  matter? 

108 


ON    PAROLE 

Confound  her  impudence!  I  might  be  one  of 
the  bare-footed  slaves  trudging  through  the  heat, 
I  might  be  a  wretched  Sambo  fresh  from  Guinea, 
and  she  could  scarcely  treat  me  with  greater  con 
tumely.  She  was  a  fury,  a  perfect  fury,  and  as 
passionate  as  she  was  beautiful !  But  I  would  speak 
plainly  to  Wilmer.  I  would  tell  him  that  I  was  his 
prisoner,  and  owed  something  to  him,  but  that  I 
could  not,  and  would  not,  be  subject  to  his  daughter's 
whims  and  caprices.  Write?  Why  should  I  not 
write?  Sheets,  quires,  reams  if  I  pleased,  so  long 
as  I  did  not  forward.  And  how  in  heaven's  name 
was  I  to  forward?  Through  whom?  Did  she 
suppose  that  the  postman  called  once  a  day  as  in 
Eastcheap  and  Change  Alley?  The  whole  thing 
was  monstrous !  Monstrous ! 

I  waited,  fuming,  for  Wilmer's  return  from  the 
fields,  and  meantime  the  delay  brought  to  my  mind 
another  grievance,  though  one  which  I  could  not 
name.  I  had  supposed  that  when  he  came  back, 
after  leaving  Marion,  I  should  be  invited  to  make 
one  at  the  common  table.  But  no  invitation  had 
reached  me,  my  meals  were  still  served  apart,  and 
this  seemed  absurd  in  a  house  in  which  life  was 
pleasantly  primitive.  Certainly  this  was  a  minor 
complaint.  But  he  who  has  lived  for  months  with 
men  whom  a  common  danger  has  rendered  respect- 

109 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

able  but  could  not  render  congenial,  he  to  whom  a 
woman's  voice  has  grown  strange  and  the  decencies 
of  home  a  memory,  will  understand  what  I  felt 
when  scraps  of  Aunt  Lyddy's  chatter,  the  girl's 
grave  voice,  the  cackle  of  Mammy  Jack's  laughter 
came  to  me  —  outside. 

A  small  grievance  and  one  that  I  could  not  air, 
one  that  I  must  keep  to  myself.  But  it  rose  vividly 
before  me.  I  was  sure  that  it  was  not  Wilmer,  I 
was  sure  that  it  was  the  girl  who  shut  me  out  and 
would  have  none  of  my  company. 

Noon  came  without  bringing  Wilmer,  and  soon 
I  guessed  that  Madam  had  played  a  trick  on  me. 
She  intended  to  keep  us  apart.  At  that  the  anger 
which  time  and  thought  were  cooling,  flamed  up 
afresh,  and  I  longed  to  thwart  her. 

Hitherto  I  had  limited  my  exercise  to  a  turn  or 
two  in  front  of  the  house.  But  I  saw  no  reason 
why  I  should  not  go  farther,  and  seek  Wilmer  in 
the  fields  where  the  blacks  were  picking.  After 
dinner,  accordingly,  I  chose  my  time  and  set  out. 
She  should  not  have  it  all  her  own  way.  If  he 
would  not  come  to  me  I  would  go  to  him. 

I  had  to  cross  the  horse-paddock  and  the  rails 
were  up.  They  were  heavy,  I  had  only  one  arm,  and 
bandaged  as  I  was  I  could  neither  stoop  freely,  nor 
use  my  strength  such  as  it  was;  for  now  I  moved 

110 


ON    PAROLE 

I  found  to  my  disgust  that  I  was  only  half  a  man.  I 
tried  to  shift  the  upper  rail,  but  a  pang  that  brought 
the  sweat  to  my  brow  shot  down  my  arm,  and  I 
desisted.  The  sun  beat  down  upon  me,  the  flies 
swarmed  about  my  head,  the  din  of  the  crickets 
filled  my  ears.  I  leant  upon  the  rail,  enraged  at  my 
helplessness  but  unable  for  the  moment  to  do  more. 

I  was  in  that  position  when  she  found  me. 

"You  must  come  in,"  she  said.  "Let  me  help 
you."  I  suppose  I  looked  ill  for  there  was  a  tone 
in  her  voice  that  I  had  not  heard  before. 

"I  wish  to  go  on,"  I  said  pettishly,  turning  from 
her  that  she  might  not  see  my  face.  "I  am  going 
to  your  father. " 

"You  must  come  in,"  she  replied  firmly.  "The 
sun  is  too  hot  for  you.  You  have  never  been  as  far 
as  this." 

"But  I—" 

"You  must  do  as  I  say,"  she  insisted.  "Lean  on 
me,  if  you  please.  Don't  you  know  that  if  you  fell 
you  might  hurt  yourself  seriously?" 

"I  am  only  a  little  —  giddy,"  I  said,  clinging  to 
the  rail.  "Which  —  I  don't  seem  to  see  —  the 
way?" 

I  went  back  to  the  house  on  her  arm  —  there  was 
nothing  else  for  it  —  but  the  only  incident  of  the 
journey  that  I  could  recall  was  that  at  a  certain 

111 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

place  I  stumbled,  and  she  held  me  up.     I  tried  to 
laugh.     "A  —  a  milksop!    A  weakling!"     I  said. 

She  did  not  answer. 

When  she  reached  the  house  she  put  me  into  my 
chair  on  the  veranda,  and  disappeared.  She  re 
turned  with  a  glass  of  Madeira.  "You  must  drink 
this,"  she  said,  "you  are  not  used  to  the  sun"; 
and  she  stood  over  me  until  I  had  done  so.  Then 
when  the  giddiness  had  passed  off  and  things  were 
clear,  "My  father  tells  me,"  she  continued  hurriedly, 
"that  I  must  ask  your  pardon.  He  says  that  I 
ought  to  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  you  would 
keep  your  word  —  that  nine  out  of  ten  English 
officers  —  " 

"Would  do  so?"  I  said  stiffly.  "We  are  much 
obliged  to  him. " 

"And  that  men  can  tell  very  quickly  when  they 
can  trust  one  another." 

"As  a  rule  they  can." 

"I  will  bring  you  some  more  paper,"  she  said 
meekly.  "And  I  beg  your  pardon." 

"Please  don't  say  any  more,"  I  replied.  "Can 
you  not  believe,  Miss  Wilmer,  that  I  am  grateful 
—  most  grateful  for  what  has  been  done  for  me? 
And  that,  enemy  as  I  am,  I  would  not  willingly 
injure  the  meanest  person  in  this  house. " 

"I  do  believe  that,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice. 
112 


ON    PAROLE 

"You  do?"  I  cried,  pleased  at  the  concession. 
"Then  surely—  " 

"But  you  might  have  no  choice  in  the  matter," 
she  replied  gravely.  "Honor —  "  she  paused,  look 
ing  away  from  me,  apparently  in  search  of  a  word 
—  "is  a  two-edged  weapon.  It  protects  us  to-day, 
sir.  It  may  wound  us  to-morrow. " 

"If  you  mean,"  I  answered,  "that  after  I  am 
exchanged  I  shall  fight  against  you,  it  is  true.  But 
we  can  fight  without  ill-will  and  suffer  without 
rancor.  While  we  observe  the  rules  of  the  game, 
we  are  brothers-in-arms  though  we  are  in  opposite 
camps.  That  is  the  legacy,  Miss  Wilmer,  that 
chivalry  has  left  to  us. " 

She  seemed  to  think  this  over.  "And  honor?" 
she  resumed,  her  face  averted.  "It  binds  always,  I 
suppose  ?  It  imposes  rules  which  it  is  not  possible  to 
evade,  no  matter  what  the  exigency  may  be  ?  If  you 
had  to  choose  between  your  mother's  life  —  shall  I 
say?  —  and  your  honor,  what  then,  Major  Craven?" 

"I  cannot  conceive  the  situation,"  I  answered, 
smiling  at  the  absurdity  of  the  idea. 

"You  might  be  on  parole  as  you  are  to-day,"  she 
rejoined.  "Suppose  that  your  mother's  life  de 
pended,  no  matter  how,  on  your  presence,  on  your 
breach  of  your  word?  What  would  you  do? 
Would  you  still  put  your  honor  first?" 

113 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"I  do  not  know  what  I  should jdo,"  I  answered. 
"The  thing  is  apart  from  ordinary  experience.  But 
I  know  what  my  mother  would  say.  She  would 
say,  'Keep  your  word !" 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment.  "And  to  betray 
your  country  even  in  a  small  matter,  that  too 
would  be  a  breach  of  honor,  I  suppose?" 

"I  am  afraid  that  it  would  be  a  very  bad  one," 
I  answered,  smiling.  "  If  you  are  thinking  of  bribing 
me  to  disclose  our  secrets,  I  had  better  tell  you  at 
once  that  I  have  no  secrets,  Miss  Wilmer. " 

"And  if  you  had  you  would  not  sell  them  ?  " 

"Neither  sell  them,  nor  tell  them.     I  hope  not." 

"No,"  she  replied.  "I  do  not  think  you  would." 
I  heard  her  sigh  deeply.  Then,  "  I  will  take  your 
glass,"  she  said.  And  she  took  it  and  went  into 
the  house. 

She  left  me  puzzled,  puzzled  to  the  last  degree; 
but  at  the  same  time  I  felt  that  the  girl  had  come 
nearer  to  me.  She  left  a  picture  of  herself  a  little 
different  from  that  which  I  had  hitherto  possessed. 
Perhaps  it  was  the  hat,  the  wide-brimmed  shadowy 
hat  that  softened  her  features  and  by  taking  from 
her  height,  lowered  the  stately  carriage  of  her  head. 
Perhaps  it  was  the  vague  elusive  sadness  of  her  tone. 
Perhaps  something  else.  She  had  named  my 
mother.  I  wondered  what  my  mother  would  think 

114 


ON    PAROLE 

of  her,  with  her  perplexing  ways,  her  reserve,  her 
aloofness,  the  hostility  which  she  had  not  stooped 
to  veil.  Often  my  mother  had  said  in  jest  that  she 
did  not  know  where  I  should  find  a  wife,  since  I 
looked  shyly  on  our  country  belles,  and  she  would 
have  none  of  our  town  ladies.  To  which  my  father 
had  answered  that  such  fastidiousness  generally 
ended  in  a  milkmaid  —  and  that  he  believed  that 
the  next  Lady  Craven  would  be  no  better. 

A  milkmaid?  Would  they  consider — I  lost  myself 
in  wild  and  extravagant  dreams.  Blowsabella? 
Surely  no  one  could  be  less  like  a  Blowsabella.  Or 
for  the  matter  of  that  less  like  the  Hartopps  our 
neighbors,  who  talked  of  nothing  but  plaited  bits, 
lived  in  riding  coats,  and  romped  through  a  country 
dance  like  so  many  Dulcineas  del  Toboso ! 

No,  no  one  could  say  that  she  was  a  milkmaid. 
On  the  other  hand  I  doubted  if  she  had  ever  seen  a 
Panache  —  the  latest  headdress  —  or  held  cards 
at  Loo,  or  squalled  a  bar  of  Sacchini's  music,  or 
chattered  down  players  and  pit  at  a  tragedy.  She 
belonged  to  no  category.  She  was  herself,  and  an 
odd,  troubling,  haunting  self  at  that ! 


115 


CHAPTER  VII 

HICKORY  KNOB 

For  I  must  go  where  lazy  peace 

Will  hide  her  drowsy  head, 
And  for  the  sport  of  Kings  increase 

The  number  of  the  dead. 

But  first  I'll  chide  thy  cruel  theft 

Can  I  in  war  delight? 
Who  being  of  my  heart  bereft 

Can  have  no  heart  to  fight? 

DAVENANT. 

I  don't  know  how  long  I  had  been  lost  in  these 
musings  when  Wilmer's  return  to  the  house  put  an 
end  to  them.  As  he  crossed  the  veranda,  carrying 
his  gun  and  followed  by  a  black  boy  trailing  two  wild 
turkeys  after  him,  he  turned  as  if  he  were  going  to 
join  me.  But  he  changed  his  mind  at  the  last 
moment  and  paused  some  paces  from  me.  "It's  a 
pity  it's  that  arm,  Major, "  he  said.  "There's  a  glut 
of  turkeys  in  the  woods.  But  you've  had  other 
sport  at  home,  I  hear?" 

A  little  offended  I  put  a  question  with  my  eyes. 

He  grinned.  "They're  hard  to  understand  are 
women,"  he  said.  "Beyond  you  and  me,  Major. 
We'll  say  no  more  than  that." 

116 


HICKORY    KNOB 

He  nodded  and  went  on,  entering  the  house  before 
I  could  answer.  But  again  I  had  that  queer  passing 
impression  of  another  man,  a  jovial,  easy,  talkative 
fellow,  fond  of  a  glass  and  a  toast.  Perhaps  it  was 
his  smile.  A  smile  would  naturally  shorten  a  man's 
face.  Perhaps  it  was  the  sunlight.  Or  perhaps 
it  was  just  a  fancy  that  had  taken  hold  of  me. 
Wilmer,  like  most  Southerners,  had  humor  of  a 
kind,  but  he  was  certainly  neither  jovial  nor  talka 
tive,  and  I  should  not  have  described  him  as  an 
easy  companion.  His  wit  was  of  the  dry  and  caustic 
sort,  that  leaves  the  person  addressed  at  a  disad 
vantage. 

He  left  home  again  three  days  later  —  to  join 
Davy's  band  I  gathered;  and  I  had  seen  so  little  of 
him,  while  he  was  at  the  Bluff,  that  I  did  not  miss 
him.  I  was  beginning  to  recover  my  strength  and 
from  day  to  day  I  went  farther  afield.  Sometimes 
I  passed  the  ford  and  wandered  up  the  pasture,  a 
vast  park-like  meadow,  broken  by  clumps  of  oaks 
and  chestnuts,  trees  that  in  that  country  mark  good 
soil  as  poplars  indicate  a  poor  site.  Or  I  might 
venture  into  the  forest  and  amid  the  undergrowth 
of  sweet-scented  myrtle  and  dog-wood  and  honey 
suckle  —  and  other  shrubs  less  healthy  —  I  would 
put  up  a  deer  or  come  on  the  tracks  of  a  bear;  or 
in  the  sombre  twilight  of  the  pine  woods,  with  their 

117 


MADAM    CONST^NTIA 

melancholy  festoons  of  gray  moss,  I  would  hear  the 
tapping  of  the  Southern  woodpecker.  Aunt  Lyddy 
made  friends  with  me  and  talked  of  Braddock  and 
Washington  and  Wolfe  and  the  heroes  of  the  last  war; 
and  at  times  would  betray  by  a  look  of  distress  and  a 
tremor  of  the  hands  that  she  was  conscious  that 
something  was  amiss  in  her  world  and  that  things 
did  not  consort  with  reality  as  they  should.  On 
these  occasions  the  girl,  if  she  were  present,  would 
humor  her  and  reassure  her  ^with  incredible  tact  and 
kindness;  and  at  the  same  time  she  would  dare  me 
with  stormy  eyes  to  come  within  so  much  as  a  mile 
of  explanation.  Her  patience  with  Aunt  Lyddy 
was  indeed  the  measure  of  her  impatience  with  me. 
And  set  me  far  from  her. 

Yet  at  a  distance  we  were  better  friends  now.  She 
never  joined  me  where  I  sat  on  the  veranda,  but  she 
would  sometimes  of  an  afternoon  take  her  seat  at 
the  spinning-wheel  at  the  farther  end  by  the  old 
blood  hound;  and  I  would,  though  timidly,  wander 
that  way  and  draw  her  into  unwilling  talk;  at  any 
rate  it  seemed  to  be  unwilling  on  her  side  and  it  was 
certainly  jejune.  She  never  asked  me  to  be  seated, 
and  seldom,  while  I  was  there,  looked  up  from  her 
task;  but  she  would  answer,  and  bit  by  bit  I  learned 
something  of  her  family  story.  On  her  mother's 
side  she  was  of  French  blood;  it  was  on  that  side 

118 


HICKORY    KNOB 

that  she  was  akin  to  Marion,  and  the  result  was  that 
she  spoke  French  in  a  way  that  put  me  to  shame. 
When  she  named  her  mother, 

"You  were  greatly  attached  to  her?"  I  ventured. 

"She  was  my  mother,"  she  answered. 

"And  your  father?" 

"He  is  more  to  me  than  anything  in  the  world," 
she  replied  with  the  same  simplicity.  "He  was  my 
mother's  last  charge  to  me." 

"And  no  doubt  you  are  often  anxious  about 
him?" 

"Anxious?"  For  once  she  looked  at  me.  And 
then  in  a  tone  of  feeling,  too  tragic,  as  it  seemed  to 
me,  for  the  occasion,  "God  knows  how  anxious!" 
she  said.  "God  knows  what  is  the  weight  I  have 
to  bear!" 

I  thought  her  answer  over-strained.  I  thought 
her  anxiety  more  than  the  occasion  required;  and 
I  felt  about  for  an  explanation.  "You  are  so  near 
the  fighting,"  I  said  lamely,  for  I  felt  that  I  was 
making  excuse  for  her.  "Doubtless  it  is  more  try 
ing  to  you." 

"  I  am  so  near,"  she  answered  with  the  same  depth 
of  feeling.  "And  so  helpless!  So  helpless!  I  sit 
and  wait !  And  wait !" 

"That  is  too  often  the  woman's  part,  I  fear." 

"God  forbid,"  she  replied  with  extraordinary 
119 


i 

MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

bitterness,  "that  my  part  should  fall  to  the  lot  of 
many  women.     He  cannot  be  so  cruel !" 

I  drew  away  after  that.  I  did  not  dare  to  press 
her  farther,  for  I  thought  that  she  was  overwrought 
and  hardly  herself.  The  note  of  tragedy  seemed  to 
be  out  of  place  in  face  of  this  calm  country-side,  of 
the  still  woods,  of  the  lowing  cattle,  of  the  smiling 
negroes  going  about  their  tasks  under  our  eyes. 

But  all  our  talks  were  not  of  this  nature,  and 
stoutly  as  she  guarded  the  approaches  to  intimacy, 
there  were  times  when  I  caught  her  in  a  gentler  mood 
or  by  sheer  meekness  broke  down  the  barrier  of  her 
reserve;  so  that  perforce  she  grew  more  kind.  At 
such  times  she  listened  while  I  talked  of  my  home  and 
my  people  and  the  England,  which  she  knew  only 
through  the  pages  of  Addison  and  Goldsmith  and 
Richardson;  or  I  described  the  long  voyage  with  its 
stale  water  and  sour  beef  which  had  brought  me 
hither;  or  she  spoke  herself,  not  willingly,  of  the 
old  plantation  on  the  Ashapoo,  of  society  on  the 
French  Santee,  where  she  had  visited  the  Marions, 
of  her  boarding  school  at  Charles  Town,  of  the  Cecilia 
Society  with  its  concerts,  and  the  old  Provincial 
Library.  It  was  clear  that  Wilmer  had  been  in 
better  circumstances,  but  when  I  ventured  to  sym 
pathize  with  her  on  her  isolation  her  only  answer 
was,  "  Give  us  peace !  Only  give  us  peace !" 

120 


HICKORY    KNOB 

"Peace?"  I  echoed.    "Yes." 

And  I  knew  that  I  was  losing  my  own  peace.  I 
knew  that  the  pose  of  her  small  head,  as  it  bent 
over  the  wheel  or  the  needle,  the  slender  grace  of  her 
figure,  the  proud  sadness  of  her  eyes  were  coming 
between  me  and  the  rest  of  the  world;  and  that  be 
side  a  kind  look  from  those  eyes,  that  now  dwelt 
absently  on  things  unseen  by  me,  and  now  viewed 
me  with  a  cold  attention,  hardly  anything  in  life  had 
any  value  for  me,  or  any  sweetness.  Had  I  met  her 
elsewhere  and  in  ordinary  conditions,  I  believe  that 
I  should  have  succumbed  to  her  charm.  But  here, 
where  she  was  the  one  woman,  set  in  this  lonely 
place  as  in  a  frame,  encircled  by  the  peace  of  green 
glades  and  scented  hemlocks,  by  myrtle  and  redden 
ing  sumach,  and  where,  besides,  she  walked  a  per 
plexing  puzzle,  a  sphinx,  a  figure  for  vain  imaginings 
—  was  any  other  issue  possible? 

A  rebel?  The  daughter  of  a  planter?  I  thought 
no  more  of  such  things.  Here,  where  every  morning 
I  looked  across  the  valley  to  the  far-off  mountains, 
where  the  endless  spaces  of  the  air  smiled  beneath 
my  eyes,  here,  within  touch  of  the  primitive  forest 
and  the  wide  prairies,  such  distinctions  lost  their 
meaning.  The  busy  life  of  the  camp,  the  Norfolk 
Discipline  —  how  often  had  I  cursed  it !  —  the 
jovial  dinner,  the  ride,  the  foray,  faded  into  a  dream; 

121 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

and  even  the  quarrel  which  had  brought  us  —  a  mere 
handful  of  pigmies,  over  the  boundless  ocean  to 
this  land,  seemed  no  longer  of  moment,  but  a  mere 
trifle,  the  play  of  children  quarreling  in  some  squalid 
alley  of  a  distant  town. 

And  whether  in  this,  love  opened  my  eyes  or  closed 
them,  whether  I  now  saw  things  by  the  light  of  truth 
or  duped  myself  for  a  season,  what  matter?  In  a 
month  from  my  coming  I  had  waded  in  over  shoes, 
over  boots.  For  me  the  die  was  cast  and  I  knew  that 
I  dreaded  nothing  so  much  as  the  day  that  should 
see  my  back  turned  on  the  Bluff.  The  old  life  had 
lost  its  savour  and  seemed,  as  I  looked  back,  an 
impossible  procession  of  dull  routine  and  distasteful 
days. 

Doubtless  had  I  been  French  I  must  have  spoken. 
But  there  is  in  us  a  vast  force  of  silence.  Where  the 
Frenchman  is  proud  we,  until  a  certain  day  comes, 
are  ashamed  of  passion.  And  apart  from  the  dis 
tance  which  she  maintained  between  us,  there  was 
a  dignity  about  Constantia  as  she  moved  in  the 
midst  of  her  household,  and  governed  her  slaves, 
that  set  all  thought  of  love  at  defiance.  I  could  not 
bring  myself  to  believe  that  she  regarded  me  as  any 
thing  but  an  unlucky  encumbrance,  one  of  the  evils 
of  war.  Indeed,  as  my  arm  improved  and  my 
strength  returned,  and  I  stood  in  less  need  of  help 

122 


or  pity,  I  fancied  that  her  intolerance  of  my  presence 
grew  and  increased.  She  noted  when  the  month 
that  Marion  had  named  came  to  an  end.  She 
showed  trouble  at  his  non-appearance,  and  fretted 
without  disguise  at  the  delay.  At  times  she  was 
ice  to  me.  And  then  I,  who  would  have  given  the 
world  for  a  kind  word  from  her  lips,  could  have 
cursed  her  for  her  unconsciousness ! 

Not  that  I  had  not  once  or  twice  intoxicating 
moments.  Once  I  looked  up  from  my  book  as  I  sat 
on  the  porch  and  I  found  her  eyes  brooding  upon  me. 
For  a  few  seconds  mine  held  them  —  it  seemed  as  if 
she  could  not  drag  hers  away !  Then,  as  she  at  last 
turned  her  head,  I  saw  the  blood  dye  the  whiteness 
of  her  neck  and  cheek  to  the  very  hair;  and  for 
a  delicious  minute  my  heart  rioted  madly.  Again 
I  was  standing  over  her  one  day  and  I  had  fallen 
silent,  gazing  at  and  worshipping  her  slender  neck 
and  high-braided  head.  I  suppose  she  felt  my  eyes 
upon  her,  for  slowly  I  saw  the  same  blush  spread 
over  the  white  —  slowly  and  irresistibly;  and  to 
stay  the  foolish  words  that  rose  to  my  lips  I  had  to 
go  away  and  hide  myself  in  my  room,  where  I  sat 
gripping  the  cold  fingers  of  my  bandaged  arm  until 
the  blood  burned  in  them.  Why,  why  had  she 
blushed,  I  asked  myself?  For  when  I  met  her  next, 
she  was  cold  as  Diana  and  distant  as  a  star.  And 

123 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

as  if  she  were  not  satisfied  with  that,  but  must 
punish  me  farther,  she  presently  sent  to  me  to  ask 
if  I  would  be  good  enough  to  leave  the  veranda  free 
next  day,  as  she  wished  to  examine  a  small  parcel  of 
a  new  staple  of  cotton.  As  the  veranda  was  the 
only  place  where  I  had  the  chance  of  seeing  her,  this 
was  enough  to  vex  me;  but  I  had  no  choice  except 
to  obey,  and  I  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  morrow 
in  my  own  room  and  in  a  bad  temper.  I  was  there 
about  three  in  the  afternoon  fretting  and  fuming  and 
trying  to  read  when  I  heard  the  patter  of  naked 
feet  crossing  the  porch,  a  sound  that  was  quickly 
followed  by  a  stir  in  the  house.  A  moment  later 
the  commotion  grew  to  something  like  an  alarm. 
Voices  rose  here  and  there  in  various  keys,  I  caught 
cries  of  affright,  a  door  was  slammed  hurriedly, 
silence  followed.  And  on  that,  to  tell  the  truth, 
my  heart  sank. 

"Marion  is  here,"  I  thought.  "He  has  come  for 
me."  And  if  Marion's  return  had  meant  release 
and  freedom  instead  of  a  prison  hospital  at  Hills- 
boro'  I  do  not  know  that  I  should  have  been  much 
better  pleased ! 

I  did  not  go  out  or  make  inquiry.  I  considered 
that  I  had  been  cast  on  my  own  company  with  little 
thought  and  small  ceremony;  and  pride  bade  me 
wait  until  I  was  summoned.  I  clung,  too,  to  hope 

124 


as  long  as  it  was  possible  to  do  so.  It  might  not  be 
Marion.  The  stir  might  have  nothing  to  do  with 
me.  And  so  some  minutes,  five  perhaps,  passed. 
Then  with  no  warning  there  came  a  sharp  knock  at 
my  door,  and  Mammy  Jacks  entered.  The  woman 
looked  flustered  and  alarmed. 

"Marse  Craven, "  she  said,  "  Missie,  she  up'n  sond 
fer  you.  She  des  tarryin'  fer  you  de  no'th  aidge  uv 
Hick'ry  Knob,  en  I  'low  de  sooner'n  you  go  de  better. 
A  little  mo'  en  you  miss  er  en  de  kindlin'll  be  in  de 
fier.  You  gwine?" 

I  stared  at  the  woman.  I  fancied  at  first  that  I 
had  not  understood  her.  "Hickory  Knob?"  I 
said.  "Why  it  is  two  miles  from  here!  Madam 
Constantia  cannot  have  walked  there !  I  heard  her 
voice  less  than  — " 

"  Go  'long !  Aint  I  done  tell  you  she  ridin'  Injun 
Belle?"  Mammy  Jacks  replied  scornfully.  "She 
tuck'n  sond  piccaninny  fer  you.  You  gwine  ter  go  ? 
Co'se,"  — she  turned  away  with  great  dignity  — 
"ef  you  hev  udder  fish  ter  fry,  it's  notin  ter  Mammy 
Jacks.  She  done  tell  you. " 

"Stop!"  I  said,  my  mind  a  jumble  of  impossible 
conjectures,  "Don't  be  in  such  a  hurry.  I'll  go,  of 
course,  if  I  can  be  of  use.  But  I  don't  under 
stand—" 

"Dat's  needer  yer  nor  dar,"  Mammy  Jacks 
125 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

answered.  "Ef  you  'er  too  bigitty  ter  go,  Marse, 
dar's  an  eend.  Eh?  You  gwine?  Clar  to  good 
ness  den,  sooner'n  you  skip  de  better !  Ef  you  not 
fine  Missie  no'th  aidge  uv  de  Knob  you  ter  wait  an 
hour  twel  she  come.  Bimeby  she  trompin'  round. 
She  sholy  boun'  ter  come." 

I  followed  the  woman  from  the  room,  still  marvel 
ling,  still  questioning,  my  head  in  a  whirl.  She 
hurried  me  through  the  living-room  to  the  door  at 
the  rear  of  the  house  which  looked  towards  the 
negroes'  cabins  —  low  huts  of  shingle,  vine-clad, 
mushroom-like,  dwarfed  by  the  giant  shade-trees 
that  rose  above  them.  Beside  the  house-door  stood 
a  black  boy  with  a  single  cloth  about  him,  who  still 
panted  from  the  speed  at  which  he  had  come.  His 
face  was  strange  to  me,  and  I  asked  if  he  were 
coming  with  me. 

"Look  like  you  know  de  track  widout  him!" 
the  woman  rejoined.  "Aint  you  bin  ter  de  Knob 
de  las'  week  uz  ever  wuz  ?  You  better  run  'long  er 
Missie'll  be  dar  befo'  you!  Den  you'll  hear  mo' 
en  you  pleez'd  ter  like.  Dat's  w'at  I'm  thinking, 
Marse  Craven." 

I  strode  off  without  waiting  for  more,  passed 
beside  the  cabins  and  skirted  the  negroes'  patches  of 
corn  and  vegetables.  Beyond  these  I  plunged  into 
the  woods,  following  a  fairly-marked  track.  The 

126 


Knob  was  a  rocky  point,  rising  well  over  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  forest  roof,  some  two  miles  south 
west  of  the  Bluff.  I  had  visited  it  for  the  sake  of  the 
view  which  I  was  told  its  summit  afforded;  and  I 
should  have  gone  a  second  time  if  about  the  same 
distance  northwest  of  the  Knob,  there  had  not  risen 
above  the  trees  another  hill  —  King's  Mountain. 
Its  slopes  were  greener,  it  was  more  pleasant  to  the 
eye.  But  I  knew  that  on  those  slopes,  above  which 
vultures  and  crows  hovered  in  the  air,  the  bodies  of 
my  fellows  lay  unburied.  And  that  thought  had 
been  too  much  for  me.  I  had  not  gone  again. 

But  to-day  that  and  all  kindred  thoughts  were 
far  from  my  mind  as  I  pushed  my  way  along  the 
narrow  track,  now  thrusting  aside  the  scented 
plants  that  form  in  Carolina  so  large  a  part  of  the 
undergrowth,  and  now  traversing  the  gloom  of  a 
pinewood  where  the  feet  sank  without  a  sound  in 
the  rotting  leaves.  Even  the  heat  and  flies,  even 
the  scurry  of  a  doe  and  fawn  across  my  path  were 
little  heeded.  My  mind  was  in  a  tumult  of  wonder 
and  conjecture.  I  thought  only  of  Constantia,  of 
her  summons,  of  her  possible  need.  I  strove  to  im 
agine  what  had  happened,  what  had,  or  could  have, 
happened,  to  lead  her  to  send  for  me;  above  all, 
I  wondered  what  she  could  want  with  me  at  Hickory 
Knob,  a  place  distant  and  solitary  —  she  who  had 

127 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

never  offered  me  her  company  abroad,  never  gone 
farther  with  me  than  to  that  sliprail? 

Wondering,  I  sought  the  answer  to  these  questions 
and  sought  it  fruitlessly.  I  could  find  no  answer 
that  consorted  with  her  character  or  was  at  one 
with  her  treatment  of  me.  Had  she  met  with  an 
accident?  She  would  not  send  for  me.  Had  she 
fallen  into  hostile  hands?  I  could  do  nothing, 
maimed  and  unarmed  as  I  was.  Was  Marion  with 
her?  Then,  why  did  he  not  come  to  the  house? 
No  conjecture  that  presented  itself  agreed  with  the 
facts,  and  I  could  only  hasten  my  pace  as  much  as 
my  arm  permitted,  and  look  forward  to  seeing  her. 

Where  should  I  find  her  ?  At  the  foot  of  the  rock  ? 
Or  at  the  summit?  Or  would  she  perhaps  be  wait 
ing  for  me  at  a  certain  flat  stone  on  a  level  with  the 
tree-tops,  which  formed  a  convenient  seat,  and 
which  a  carpet  of  nutshells  and  broken  corncobs 
pointed  out  as  a  favorite  resort  of  the  negroes?  I 
could  not  tell.  The  tangle  of  forest  vines  about  me 
was  not  more  blind  or  more  confused  than  were  my 
thoughts. 

I  came  at  last,  sweating  at  every  pore,  and  fighting 
the  swarms  of  flies  that  accompanied  me  to  the 
foot  of  the  little  hill.  She  was  not  there;  I  could 
hear  nothing.  The  stillness  of  afternoon  lay  heavy 
on  the  woods.  Impatient  of  delay,  I  paused  for  a 

128 


HICKORY    KNOB 

moment  only,  then  I  started  to  scale  the  hill  and  in 
less  than  a  minute  I  stood  beside  the  flat  stone  I 
have  mentioned.  She  was  not  there,  and  I  did  not 
tarry,  I  climbed  on,  now  slipping  on  the  shale,  and 
now  clutching  at  branches  of  the  myriad  azaleas 
that  earlier  in  the  year  clothed  the  bare  hill  with 
flame.  At  length  I  reached  the  summit  which  was 
no  bigger  than  the  floor  of  a  barn. 

She  was  not  there  and  I  stood  awhile,  glad  to  take 
breath  and  to  cool  my  heated  face.  I  looked  abroad 
over  the  silent  trees,  over  the  carpet  of  forest  which 
autumn  was  beginning  to  dye  to  its  pattern.  I 
viewed  for  a  moment  the  smooth  green  head  of 
King's  Mountain,  that  to  the  westward  rose  above 
the  trees.  Then  I  turned  to  mark,  in  the  direction 
whence  I  came,  the  cleft  in  the  woods  which  marked 
the  clearing  about  the  Bluff.  Beyond  it  the  forest 
sank  and  was  replaced  by  the  more  distant  view  of 
the  mountains. 

I  waited,  expecting,  with  each  moment  that  passed, 
to  hear  the  movements  of  her  mare  on  the  path. 
How  would  she  look?  What  countenance  would 
she  put  on?  What  would  she,  what  could  she  have 
to  say  to  me?  I  lost  myself  in  a  fever  of  anticipa 
tion.  Ten  minutes  passed,  twenty  minutes,  at  last 
the  full  half  hour !  And  still  she  did  not  come.  Still 
there  was  no  sign  of  her,  no  sound  of  her  approach. 

129 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

At  length  the  heat  of  expectancy  began  to  give 
place  to  the  chill  of  doubt.  Had  I  mistaken,  could 
I  have  mistaken  the  place?  Or  was  there  another 
path  up  the  Knob  and  could  she  be  waiting  for  me 
at  the  foot  of  the  farther  side.  I  hurried  across  the 
top,  I  descended  some  distance,  I  called,  I  whistled. 
I  strove  to  pierce  the  thickets  with  my  eyes.  Then, 
harassed  by  the  thought  that  while  I  lingered,  she 
might  be  mounting  by  the  proper  track,  I  toiled 
again  to  the  summit  and  looked  abroad.  She  had 
not  appeared,  and  my  heart  sank.  Doubt  in  its 
turn  began  to  give  place  to  suspicion.  Had  I  been 
tricked?  And  if  so,  to  what  end?  Desperately  I 
searched  the  trees  with  my  eyes.  She  might  still 
come,  but  the  hour  I  had  been  told  to  wait  was 
nearly  up.  Indeed  in  no  long  time  the  sun  would 
set,  and  twilight  in  Carolina  is  brief.  If  I  remained 
on  the  Knob  until  it  was  dark,  I  should  have 
small  chance  of  returning  through  the  woods  with 
out  a  fall  that  in  my  crippled  condition  might  be 
serious. 

I  was  now  angry  as  well  as  suspicious.  I  had  been 
duped  —  for  some  reason;  duped  by  a  trick  too 
transparent  to  deceive  a  child.  I  had  been  sent 
out  of  the  way;  I  had  not  a  doubt  of  it  now.  I  only 
wondered  that  I  had  been  so  easily  gulled.  Still 
I  would  not  act  in  a  hurry.  They  should  not  say 

130 


HICKORY    KNOB 

that  I  had  left  the  rendez-vous  before  the  time. 
They  should  not  have  that  excuse.  So  I  waited 
fuming  and  fretting  until  the  hour  expired,  and  then 
reckoning  that  I  should  have  no  more  daylight  than 
would  suffice  for  my  return,  I  scrambled  down  the 
rocky  slope,  and  in  a  state  of  cold  anger  very  dif 
ferent  from  the  heat  of  anticipation  in  which  I 
had  come,  I  made  the  best  of  my  way  towards 
home. 

A  man,  and  a  soldier,  does  not  like  to  be  tricked. 
He  does  not  choose  to  be  treated  as  a  child  even  for 
his  own  good.  And  in  this  case  the  lure  which  they 
had  used,  the  bait  which  I  had  swallowed  so  greedily, 
seemed  to  imply  a  knowledge  of  my  feelings  that 
made  me  hot  only  to  think  of  it.  Had  the  girl 
been  amusing  herself  with  me?  Had  she,  cold 
and  distant  as  she  seemed,  been  laughing  at  me? 
Worst  of  all,  had  she  taken  that  d  —  d  grinning 
black  woman  into  her  confidence?  No  wonder  that 
as  I  labored  on  I  cursed  the  boggy  piece  that  de 
layed  me,  the  roots  over  which  I  stumbled,  the 
thorns  that  snatched  at  my  clothes? 

I  did  not  consider  what  I  should  say.  My  one 
longing  was  to  confront  them.  But  I  had  not 
reckoned  with  the  darkness  that  fell  earlier  in  the 
woods  than  in  the  open,  and  soon  I  had  to  pick  my 
way  for  fear  of  a  fall  which  might  injure  my  arm. 

131 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

When  I  came  in  sight  of  the  cabins  it  was  dusk  and 
a  light  already  shone  from  one  of  the  windows  of  the 
house. 

I  was  making  for  this  light,  with  angry  words  on 
my  lips,  when  a  figure  rose  suddenly  in  the  path 
before  me  and  barred  my  way.  It  was  Mammy 
Jacks.  Apparently  she  had  been  crouching  on  the 
ground  on  the  look-out  for  my  coming. 

"Fer  de  Lord's  sake,  stop,  honey!"  she  jibbered, 
bringing  her  ugly  face  close  to  mine,  her  eyeballs 
and  her  teeth  shining  in  the  gloom.  "Der's  Cap'en 
Levi  dar,  en  de  udder  rapscallions!  Ef  you  go  in, 
you  no  mo'  chance  den  a  rooster  in  de  pan!  Der 
ain't  no  Marse  Marion  ter  'elp  you  loose  de  rope  dis 
time!  Ain't  you  no  eyes  ter  see  de  hosses?"  And 
she  clutched  me  by  the  arm  and  held  me. 

I  did  see  then  —  with  a  decided  shock  —  a  row 
of  saddled  horses  standing  beside  the  porch,  thirty 
yards  from  us.  With  them  were  a  couple  of 
men  lounging,  as  if  on  guard.  The  row  extended 
round  the  corner  of  the  house  so  that  I  could  not 
count  either  men  or  horses  and  the  dusk  made  all 
indistinct.  The  windows,  now  that  I  was  nearer, 
showed  more  than  one  light,  though  these  were 
darkened  from  time  to  time  as  a  figure  passed 
across  them.  A  murmur  of  voices,  a  stir  of  feet,  the 
clink  of  glass,  and  now  and  again  a  loud  laugh  issued 

132 


HICKORY    KNOB 

from  the  windows  and  mingled  with  the  jingle  of  bit 
and  stirrup-iron. 

"See  dat?  Wat  I  tell  you?"  Mammy  Jacks 
repeated  in  terror  that  was  certainly  not  feigned; 
and  she  clung  firmly  to  my  sleeve.  "You  go  in,  en 
you  sholy  hang !  Cap'en  Levi,  he  mighty  mad  atter 
you  en  he  make  an  eend  dis  time!  Look  like  dey 
sarched  de  cabins,  en  you  kin  hide  in  dar!  Hide 
in  dar,  Marse  Craven!  Fust  thing  you  know  de 
Cap'en'll  get  up  en  go.  He  go  fer  sho'  in  ten 
minutes." 

I  let  her  push  me  towards  the  door  of  the  nearest 
hut;  to  hide  there,  as  she  said,  seemed  to  be  the 
wisest  course  for  the  present.  But  either  the  reek 
of  the  shack  repelled  me,  or  her  insistence  touched 
the  wrong  note.  My  pride  rose  and  on  the  very 
threshold  I  turned.  Why  should  I  hide?  I  had 
Marion's  word  and  the  girl's  word.  And  weeks  had 
elapsed  and  nothing  had  happened  since  Levi's 
last  attempt.  Was  this  some  new  trick  for  my 
good  for  if  so,  I  would  not  stoop  to  it.  The  part 
I  had  played  at  the  Bluff  had  been  poor  so  far;  I 
was  not  going  to  make  it  worse  and  disgrace  myself 
by  hiding  in  a  nigger's  hut  from  a  parcel  of  low 
rebels  whom  a  single  man  with  a  pistol  had  put  to 
flight. 

"No !"  I  cried;  and  I  resisted  the  woman's  thrust. 
133 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  do,  Mammy !  I'll  see  Levi  and 
all  his  crew  with  their  father  the  devil  first !" 

"Den  you'll  hatter  hang!"  she  gibbered,  strug 
gling  to  detain  me.  "Fer  de  Lord's  sake,  honey, 
'tend  ter  me !  Don't  go  in  dar !"  she  protested,  her 
voice  rising  to  a  shriek.  "Don't  go  in  dar !  Dey'll 
hang  you  fer  sho !  Dey'll  —  Marse  Craven  —  fer 
de  Lord's  sake  — " 

But  I  wrested  myself  from  her  hands,  I  flung 
out  of  the  hut.  As  I  did  so,  some  one  in  the  house 
laughed  aloud,  a  pair  of  hands  clapped  applause,  a 
glass  shivered  on  the  floor.  I  was  being  tricked,  I 
was  sure  of  it  now;  and  I  bounded  across  the  short 
space  to  the  door,  Mammy  Jacks'  wail  of  despair 
in  my  ears.  I  evaded  a  second  figure  that  slipped 
out  of  the  gloom  and  tried  to  stop  me,  I  thrust 
open  the  door  that  was  already  ajar,  and  a  pace 
inside  the  room  I  stood,  confounded. 

The  table  was  spread  for  a  meal  and  spread  as  I 
had  never  seen  it  laid  at  the  Bluff,  with  glass  and 
silverware  and  all  that  was  rarest  in  the  house.  On 
it  were  meat  and  drink  and  whisky  and  even  wine. 
At  the  head  of  the  table  staring  at  me  with  laughter 
frozen  on  her  lips  —  aye,  and  with  terror  in  her  eyes 
—  sat  Constantia.  At  the  foot  was  Aunt  Lyddy,  I 
believe,  but  I  did  not  take  her  in  at  a  first  glance. 
For  between  them,  seated  at  the  table  were  three  men 

134 


HICKORY    KNOB 

in  regimentals  that  glittered  with  gold  lace.  Two 
of  them  wore  the  green  of  Tarleton's  British  Legion, 
one  was  in  the  King's  scarlet.  And  my  amazement 
may  be  imagined  when  I  saw  that  the  one  in  scarlet, 
was  young  Paton,  my  own  particular  friend  on  the 
Staff!  While  of  the  others  the  nearer  to  me  was 
Haybittle,  a  grim,  hard-bitten  veteran,  who  had 
never  risen  beyond  a  pair  of  colors  in  the  regular 
service,  but  now  ranked  in  the  Legion  as  a  Captain. 
I  knew  him  well. 

On  both  sides  there  was  a  moment  of  silence  and 
astonishment.  I  glared  at  them. 

The  first  to  recover  from  his  surprise  and  to  find 
his  voice  was  Paton.  He  pushed  back  his  chair, 
and  sprang  to  his  feet.  "Who-hoop!"  he  shouted. 
"  Who-hoop !  Run  to  earth,  by  Gad !  Look  at  him, 
Haybittle!  You'd  think  he  saw  a  ghost  instead 
of  the  King's  uniform.  Here's  his  health!"  He 
swung  his  glass  round  his  head.  "A  bumper!  A 
bumper!" 

I  stood  stock  still.  "But  how  —  how  do  you 
come  here  ?  "  I  stammered  at  last.  I  stared  at  Paton 
in  his  scarlet,  at  the  glittering  table,  at  the  candles 
that  shed  a  soft  light  upon  it,  but  it  was  only  the 
girl's  stricken  face  that  I  apprehended  with  my 
mind.  And  even  while  I  put  the  question  to  Paton, 
my  brain  asked  another  —  what  did  her  look  of 

135 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

horror,  of  despair  mean?  "How  do  you  come 
here?"  I  repeated.  "You  are  not  prisoners?" 

"Prisoners!"  Haybittle  answered  in  his  harsher 
tones.  "Good  G  —  d,  no!  We've  come  for  you, 
Major,  and  a  deuce  of  a  ride  we've  had  to  fetch  you ! 
We'd  pretty  well  given  you  up  too!" 

"Thanks  to  this  young  lady  who  lied  to  us!"  the 
third  man  struck  in.  I  knew  him  slightly  —  a  New 
York  Tory  holding  a  commission  in  Tarleton's  horse 
and  like  many  loyalists  more  bitter  than  the  regulars. 
"It  would  serve  Madam  right,"  he  continued  rudely, 
"if  we  burned  the  roof  over  her  head !  And  for  my 
part  I'm  for  doing  it !" 

"Hold  your  tongue,  Carroll !"  Paton  cried  angrily. 
"You're  always  for  burning  some  poor  devil's  house 
or  playing  some  silly  trick  of  that  sort!  Don't  be 
afraid,  Miss  Wilmer,"  he  continued,  "You  played 
your  hand,  and  had  a  right  to  play  it,  and  played  it 
well !  And  by  jove,  such  a  face  as  yours,  if  you  will 
allow  me  to  say  so,  knows  no  laws.  But  I  can  tell 
you,"  he  went  on,  addressing  me,  "my  lady  came 
pretty  near  to  bamboozling  us,  Major!  We  were 
just  toasting  her  in  a  last  glass  when  you  came  in 
looking  like  Banquo's  ghost  —  and  damme,  almost 
as  pale!  Five  minutes  more  and  we  should  have 
been  off  and  away ! " 

"And  we  ought  to  be  away  now!"  Haybittle  said, 
136 


rising  to  his  feet.  "Sergeant!  Get  'em  to  horse. 
Don't  lose  a  minute !" 

"  I'm  on  parole, "  I  said. 

"Parole  be  hanged !"  Haybittle  answered  bluntly. 
"We  retake  you!  Hit  in  the  arm,  eh,  Major? 
Well,  you  can  ride  and  we've  a  horse  for  you.  And 
ride  we  must  as  if  the  devil  were  behind  us.  I'm 
not  for  doing  anything  to  this  young  lady,"  with 
an  awkward  look  at  her,  "because  she  fibbed  to  us ! 
But  I  don't  trust  her  for  that  reason,  and  —  " 

"Steady,  Captain  Haybittle,"  I  said,  regaining 
my  voice  and  my  faculties  —  the  girl  continued  to 
sit  and  look  before  her  with  the  same  stricken  face. 
"This  lady's  father  saved  my  life  when  I  was 
wounded  and  helpless.  He  has  sheltered  me  and 
treated  me  more  than  well,  and  more  than  humanely. 
Not  a  dog  must  be  injured  here,  or  a  truss  taken,  or 
you  will  have  to  reckon  with  me.  I  am  the  senior 
officer  here  —  " 

"No,  by  G  —  d,  you're  not,  Major,"  Haybittle 
retorted  bluntly.  "Not  till  your  name's  replaced 
on  the  active  list,  and  that  can't  be  till  you  have 
reported  yourself  at  Headquarters  as  returned  to 
duty.  General  Tarleton  put  me  in  charge  of  the 
expedition,  and  I'll  give  up  the  lead  to  no  one  — 
with  all  respect  to  you. " 

"And  I'm  for  doing  something !  I'm  for  teaching 
137 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

/'. 

these  rebels  a  lesson ! "   Carroll  protested,  encouraged 
by  Haybittle's  action. 

"You'll  learn  a  lesson  yourself,  Lieutenant," 
Haybittle  rejoined,  "and  that  pretty  quickly  if 
you  don't  see  the  men  to  horse.  While  we're 
mounting,  throw  forward  vedettes  as  far  as  the 
smithy  we  passed.  Off,  man,  and  see  to  it !"  Then 
to  me,  "We're  thirty  miles  from  Fishing  Creek, 
where  our  supports  are,  and  seventy  miles  from  our 
lines.  Green  is  at  Charlotte,  a  deal  too  near  us  for 
my  taste,  and  has  thrown  forward  Sumter's  men. 
I'll  give  you  three  minutes,  Major,  by  my  watch  to 
get  your  things  together  —  not  a  second  more. 
We're  only  twenty,  all  told,  and  before  we  are  ten 
miles  from  here  we  shall  have  the  country  swarming 
on  our  backs. " 

He  hurried  out.  Carroll  had  already  gone. 
Paton  with  a  sly  look  at  me  and  a  glance  at  the  girl  — 
who  still  sat  silent  in  her  chair  —  went  after  him. 

I  approached  her  diffidently,  "Miss  Wilmer,"  I 
said,  "have  you  nothing  to  say  to  me  before  I  go?" 

She  awoke  as  from  a  dream.  She  met  my  eyes. 
"You  are  going  then?"  she  said. 

"I  have  no  choice." 

"And  your  parole  —  is  nothing?" 

"It  is  put  an  end  to  by  my  re-capture,"  I  said. 
"Colonel  Marion  will  understand  that.  But  I  want 

138 


HICKORY    KNOB 

you  to  understand  something  more;  that  nothing  — 
nothing  can  put  an  end  to  the  gratitude  which  I 
owe  to  your  father  and  to  you.  When  it  shall  be 
safe  for  me  to  return  — " 

"To  the  Bluff?" 

"Yes  —  for  I  shall  return,  Miss  Wilmer,  be  sure 
of  that.  And  when  I  do  return  to  the  Bluff  I  shall 
be  free  to  tell  you,  and  to  prove  to  you  — " 

"How  great  is  your  gratitude!"  she  cried,  rising 
to  her  feet  and  substituting  other  words  for  mine  — 
for  indeed  it  was  of  something  more  than  gratitude  I 
was  going  to  speak.  "Your  gratitude?"  she  re 
peated,  with  a  look  and  in  a  voice  that  cut  me  to 
the  heart.  "  Will  it  be  worth  more  than  your  word  ? 
Will  it  sever  one  of  the  meshes  that  bind  you?  Will 
it  evade  one  of  your  cruel  laws?  Will  it  save  one 
life?  No,  Major  Craven !  If  the  day  comes  for  me 
to  ask  a  return,  to  crave  a  favor,  to  plead  to  you, 
aye,  even  on  my  knees,  I  know  that  the  law  that 
frees  you  to-day  will  bind  you  then !  And  I  shall  find 
your  gratitude  no  better  than  your  word !  For  me, 
you  can  take  it,  sir  —  where  it  may  mean  more ! "  * 

She  pointed  scornfully  to  the  old  lady  who  sat, 
wondering  and  bemused,  at  the  farther  end  of  the 
table.  And  yet  I  doubt  if  Aunt  Lyddy  was  more 
bemused  at  that  moment  than  I  was.  The  girl's 
outbreak  was  to  me  beyond  all  understanding.  I 

139 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

was  astonished,  indignant,  nay,  sorely  hurt!  For 
what  had  I  done.  What  beyond  that  which  I  was 
doing,  could  I  do?  "You  are  cruel,  and  unjust!" 
I  cried.  "What  have  I  done  that  you  should 
wound  me,  at  this  moment?  Believe  me,  if  you 
could  read  my  heart,  Miss  Wilmer  — " 

"I  do  not  wish  to  read  it!"  she  answered  passion 
ately.  "Take  it  there  with  your  gratitude!  I 
value  both  at  their  true  worth !"  Again  she  pointed 
to  poor  Aunt  Lyddy  who  gazed  at  us,  understanding 
nothing  of  the  debate.  And  that  was  the  end,  for 
before,  hurt  and  angry,  I  could  fcid  words  with 
which  to  answer  the  girl  or  to  reproach  her,  the  op 
portunity  was  past.  Haybittle  bustled  in,  his 
sword  clanking  on  the  floor. 

"Time!  Time!"  he  cried.  "You  must  come, 
Major.  Not  another  moment!"  He  took  me 
by  the  sound  arm  and  forced  me  towards  the  door. 
"You  are  playing  with  lives,"  he  continued,  "and  I 
don't  choose  to  hazard  mine  for  the  sake  of  a  girl's 
eyes.  No  offence  to  you,  Miss,"  he  flung  over  his 
shoulder.  "You'd  make  a  fine  tragedy  queen,  be 
hanged  if  you  wouldn't.  To  look  at  you  one  would 
think  that  we'd  done  God  knows  what  to  you,  and  a 
good  many  would !  There's  temptation  and  to  spare. 
Now  boot  and  saddle,  Major!  We've  risked  more 
than  enough  to  get  hold  of  you !  Let  us  be  going !" 

140 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  MAN  WITH  TWO  FACES 

This  outward  sainted  Deputy, 
Whose  settled  visage  and  deliberate  word 
Nips  youth  i'  the  head  and  follies  doth  emmew 
As  fakon  doth  the  fowl  —  is  yet  a  Devil! 

SHAKESPEARE. 

Haybittle  dragged  me  out.  From  the  porch  I 
had  a  last  view  of  the  room.  It  showed  me  the 
table  set  for  a  feast,  as  I  had  left  it,  the  old  lady 
seated  in  her  chair,  Constantia  on  her  feet,  motion 
less,  and  gazing  after  us.  Was  it  fancy  or  did  I  read 
something  besides  scorn  and  defiance  in  the  girl's 
eyes  as  they  followed  me;  a  shadow  of  fear,  of  ap 
peal,  of  unutterable  sorrow?  I  could  not  tell,  and 
I  had  no  time  to  dwell  on  the  fancy.  In  a  twinkling 
I  was  half -lifted  and  half  pushed  into  the  saddle  of 
a  troop-horse,  the  reins  were  thrust  into  my  hand,  the 
word  was  given,  we  moved  off,  the  lighted  windows 
faded  as  by  magic.  I  had  one  glimpse  of  Mammy 
Jacks'  face  amid  a  knot  of  staring  negroes,  a  mo 
ment  in  which  to  press  my  purse  —  once  before 
given  and  returned  —  into  her  hand,  and  we  had  left 
all  behind,  and  were  filing  down  the  field  road,  amid 

141 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

the  jingle  of  bits,  the  trampling"  of  hoofs,  the  curt 
orders,  all  the  familiar  sounds  of  a  troop  of  horse 
on  the  march. 

I  was  among  my  own  people,  Paton's  cheery 
tones  cried,  "Hark  Forrard!"  in  my  ears,  his  kind 
hand  had  knotted  my  spare  rein  to  his  saddle.  I 
was  free,  with  friendly  hands  and  voices  round  me, 
and  a  good  horse  between  my  knees.  I  should  have 
been  jubilant,  I  should  have  been  happy,  I  should 
have  been  content  at  least;  and  Heaven  knows  I 
was  wretched.  It  was  not  only  that  we  were  parted, 
but  in  the  moment  of  parting  the  girl  had  judged 
me  unfairly  and  hurt  me  wantonly,  God  only  knew 
why!  She  had  flung  my  thanks  in  my  face  and 
poured  scorn  on  the  affection  of  which  —  for  she 
was  a  woman  —  she  must  at  least  have  had  some 
suspicion. 

Sore  with  the  pain  of  parting,  I  cried  out  passion 
ately  against  her  injustice:  that  injustice  which, 
had  I  been  indifferent  to  her,  must  still  have  been 
cruel.  As  it  was  I  loved  her;  and  at  this  our  last 
interview,  when  I  had  been  on  the  point  of  telling 
her,  hurried  and  ill-timed  as  the  moment  was,  some 
thing  of  what  I  felt,  she  had  —  oh,  but  it  was  cruel ! 
For  I  might  never  —  I  might  never  see  her  again. 
This  might  be  my  last  memory  of  her. 

Yet  at  this  moment  her  stricken  face,  her  eyes, 
142 


THE     MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

wells  of  grief  and  appeal,  rose  up  before  me,  and  gave 
me  a  strange  bewildering  certainty  that  I  was  loved. 
That  I  was  loved !  She  might  pour  contempt  on  me, 
she  might  insult  me;  but  the  very  violence  of  her 
language  proved  that  there  was  something  in  her 
heart  akin  to  that  which  swelled  in  mine.  There 
was  a  bond  between  us.  Miles  might  part  us,  but 
her  eyes  followed  me,  and  her  heart.  For,  here  was 
the  old  mystery,  the  old  puzzle.  But  of  pain  is  born 
knowledge;  and  with  her  reproaches  in  my  ears,  and 
every  pace  of  my  horse  carrying  me  farther  from  her 
—  and  never  perhaps  should  I  see  her  again !  —  I 
was  sure  at  last  that  I  had  touched  her  heart. 

Yes,  out  of  my  wretchedness  I  came  suddenly  to 
that  knowledge.  The  eyes  that  had  followed  me 
had  given  the  lie  to  the  eyes  that  accused  me. 
There  was  a  mystery  still,  but  —  at  this  point  Paton 
broke  in  upon  my  thoughts. 

"Major,  rouse  yourself!"  he  cried  in  my  ear. 
"Come,  you've  cheated  the  Jews  and  bilked  the 
sponging  house,  and  you're  as  mum  as  one  of  these 
confounded  trimmers  who  are  neither  on  one  side 
nor  the  other!  Cheer  up!  Your  heart  will  be 
whole  as  soon  as  your  arm, 

Though  now  they  are  moaning  on  ilka  green  loaning 
The  flowers  of  the  Forest  are  all  wede  away! 

There  I'll  say  no  more!    But  you've  never  asked 

143 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

how  we  came  to  find  you?  It  was  due  to  me,  my 
lad,  due  to  me !  One  of  Ferguson's  men  came  in  a 
week  ago.  He'd  been  hiding  by  day  and  walking 
by  night.  He  heard  from  some  loyalists  —  few 
enough  in  this  part !  —  who  sheltered  him,  that  there 
was  a  wounded  officer  lying  at  a  plantation  not  far 
from  King's  Mountain.  Greene  had  let  us  know  you 
were  alive  —  quite  a  courteous  message  it  was  — 
and  putting  two  and  two  together  with  the  help  of  a 
man  who  knew  the  district  we  fixed  upon  the  place 
where  we  found  you.  But  we  did  not  say  a  word 
—  far  too  much  has  crept  out  lately.  I  saw  Tarleton 
and  he  consented  to  push  ten  miles  up  Fishing  Creek, 
and  to  lie  there  thirty  hours.  He  gave  me  Carroll 
and  twenty  men,  but  —  in  your  ear,  Major  — 
Carroll's  too  much  given  to  burning  and  harrying 
for  my  taste,  and  I  insisted  on  having  Haybittle  as 
well,  who's  a  good  fellow,  though  not  thorough-bred. 
And  here  we  are!" 

"How's  my  lord?"  I  asked,  forcing  myself  —  it 
was  no  small  effort  —  to  take  an  interest  in  things. 

"He  has  gone  down  the  country  for  his  health  for 
ten  days;  he  has  left  my  other  lord  in  charge." 

"Rawdon?" 

"The  same  —  and  gallant  old  Webster  to  nurse 
him.  Poor  Ferguson's  death  has  set  us  back  dam 
nably.  You  left  us  at  Charlotte  —  Gates  was  then 

144 


THE    MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

at  Hillsborough  a  long  way  north.  Now  we're  back 
at  Winnsboro'  and  Greene,  in  Gates's  place,  and 
worth  six  of  him,  the  devil  take  him !  is  at  Charlotte. 
Sumter  is  out  on  the  Broad,  west  of  us,  and  Davy  is 
across  the  Catawba  east  of  us,  and  it  was  no  small 
feat,  Major,  to  slip  in  between  them;  they're  no 
fools  at  the  business.  And  we're  not  out  of  the  trap 
yet.  However,  if  you  can  ride  through  the  night 
in  spite  of  your  bad  arm,  we  shall  be  with  Tarleton 
by  daybreak.  He's  lying,  as  I  said,  on  Fishing 
Creek  where  he  defeated  Sumter  a  couple  of  months 
ago,  but  he  has  a  party  out  watching  the  fords  of 
the  Catawba  and  Davy  will  be  clever  if  he  surprises 
him. 

"Where's  Marion?"  I  asked.  My  curiosity  was 
natural. 

"Who  can  say?"  Paton  answered,  shrugging  his 
shoulders.  "Wemyss  has  been  hunting  him  on 
Lynch's  Creek  but  to  no  purpose.  Tarleton  fancies 
that  he's  back  on  the  Pee  Dee  now  and  far  to  the 
right  of  us.  I  hope  it  is  so.  He's  a  wily  old  fox, 
if  you  please. " 

"Well,  I  must  do  my  best, "  I  said,  "but  why  have 
you  let  Davy  and  Sumter  push  in  so  close  to  us. 
That's  not  Tarleton's  ordinary  fashion. " 

"Because  they've  more  friends  than  we  have," 
Haybittle  answered  dryly.  He  had  reined  his  horse 

145 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

back  to  us.  "They  don't  know  when  they're 
beaten,  these  Southerners.  Since  we  broke  them 
up  at  Camden,  hanged  if  things  are  not  worse  in 
stead  of  better !  Every  hand  is  against  us  and  some 
of  the  hands  are  in  our  dish.,  If  we  bring  you  off 
safe  —  which  way  is  that  fool  of  a  guide  turning?" 
He  broke  off  to  shout,  "Look  out,  Carroll,  where  you 
are  going !  —  it  will  be  because  we  have  kept  a  still 
tongue  —  a  still  tongue,  Major,  and  told  no  one 
except  Tarleton  what  we  were  doing!" 

"Haybittle's  right,"  Paton  said.  "Every  move 
ment  we've  made  during  the  last  month  has  been 
known  to  Sumter  and  Davy  before  we  made  it!" 

"Aye,  there's  a  leak  in  the  vessel  somewhere," 
Haybittle  growled.  "And  it's  one  that  nothing  but 
a  halter  will  stop  —  six  feet  of  hemp  is  what  is  needed. 
My  lord  is  altogether  too  easy.  He  is  hail-fellow- 
well-met  with  too  many  of  these  loyalists.  There  is 
one  or  other  of  them  at  his  ear  from  morning  till 
night,  and  not  a  plan  is  made  but,  in  place  of  keeping 
it  to  himself,  he  must  needs  discover  the  lie  of  the 
land  from  some  Jack  Tory  or  other.  My  lord  learns 
a  little  and  the  Tory  learns  more,  and  it  is  my  opin 
ion,  he  does  not  keep  his  knowledge  to  himself. 
It's  either  that,  or  we  have  a  Benedict  Arnold  on  our 
side.  And  then,  the  sooner  we  catch  their  Andr€ 
and  hang  him  up  the  better.  Sergeant!"  raising 

146 


THE    MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

his  voice,  "pass  on  to  Lieutenant  Carroll  to  be  careful 
that  he  takes  the  right  fork  at  the  next  ford,  and 
loses  no  time  in  crossing  that  strip  of  hill!  The 
moon  is  shining  on  it." 

Trot,  trot,  trot,  trot,  through  the  mud,  and  up 
the  slope!  There  is  something  in  a  night  march 
across  a  hostile  country,  something  in  the  caution 
which  is  necessary,  in  the  low  curt  orders,  and  the 
excitement,  which  appeals  strongly  to  the  spirit 
of  a  soldier.  In  spite  of  the  sudden  halts  and 
jolting  starts  which  many  a  time  put  my  forti 
tude  to  the  test,  in  spite  of  sad  thoughts  —  for 
surely  to  be  misread  by  one  we  love  is  sharper  than 
a  serpent's  tooth!  —  I  began  to  take  pleasure  in 
what  was  passing.  Whether  we  wound  quickly  over 
the  flank  of  a  hill  with  moonlight  gleaming  on  spur 
and  bit,  or  tracked  the  course  of  a  stream  through  a 
fern-clad  ravine,  where  the  mimosas  and  the  yellow 
jessamine  scented  the  spray,  or  plunged  knee-deep 
through  a  quaking  bog  where  the  clamor  of  the  frogs 
covered  the  splashing  of  the  horses,  I  owned  the 
charm.  Regret  began  to  give  place  to  ambition. 
Since  I  was  free  I  longed  also  to  be  hale  and  strong. 
I  yearned  to  be  in  the  field  once  more.  After  all, 
life  held  war  as  well  as  love;  war  that  on  such  a 
night  puts  on  its  fairest  face,  its  garb  of  Border 
story;  love  that  on  such  a  march  seems  sad  and 

147 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

distant,  bright  and  pure,  as  the  star  that  gleams 
through  the  wrack  of  clouds  above  us. 

The  sun  was  an  hour  high  when,  a  long  line  of 
crawling  horses  and  weary  men,  we  surmounted  the 
last  ridge  and  sighted  far  to  the  south  of  us  the  dark 
head  of  Rocky  Mountain.  Fishing  Creek,  the 
bridge,  and  the  distant  valley  of  the  Catawba  lay 
below  us,  and  by  and  by  we  espied  Tarleton's 
pickets  thrown  far  out  as  was  his  custom.  I  could 
endure  the  shaking  no  longer,  and  at  this  point  I 
slid  from  the  saddle,  and  trudged  down  the  last  mile 
on  my  feet.  From  the  Camp  below  rose  presently 
a  sound  of  cheering  voices !  The  men  had  counted 
our  number  as  we  descended  the  face  of  the  hill,  and 
they  had  made  us  one  more  than  had  started  on  the 
expedition  the  day  before.  Ten  minutes  later  the 
old  flag  waved  over  our  heads,  I  was  safe  as  well  as 
free.  Tarleton,  with  the  courteous  insouciance 
which  was  natural  to  him  and  which  could  at  need 
give  place  to  an  unsparing  energy,  came  forward  to 
welcome  me  to  his  camp. 

"  My  lord  Rawdon's  compliments,  sir,  and  he  will 
be  glad  if  you  will  report  yourself  at  his  quarters." 

"Very  good,"  I  said.  "Does  his  lordship  wish 
to  see  me  at  once?" 

"I  believe  so,  sir." 

148 


THE    MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

"Very  good,  Tomkins.  I  will  be  with  his  lord 
ship  as  soon  as  I  can  borrow  a  sword." 

The  order  reached  me  early  on  the  morning  after 
my  arrival  at  Winnsboro'.  But  owing  either  to  the 
fatigue  of  the  ride  —  though  I  had  rested  six  hours 
at  Fishing  Creek  —  or  to  other  causes,  I  had  already 
begun  to  experience,  early  as  the  hour  was,  the 
lassitude  and  ennui  which  await  the  man,  who 
after  startling  adventures  returns  £o  a  dull  routine. 
The  scarlet  of  the  King's  uniform,  peeping  here  and 
there  through  the  trees  that  shaded  the  village  street, 
the  smart  sentries  who  paced  the  walk  before  this 
door  or  that,  the  Twenty-Third  drilling  in  an  open 
space  with  their  queues  and  ribbons  and  powdered 
heads,  the  old  flag  flying  above  Headquarters  — 
these  were  sights  pleasant  enough.  And  the  greet 
ings  of  old  friends  were  welcome;  the  camaraderie  of 
an  army  campaigning  abroad  is  a  thing  by  itself. 
But  when  that  was  said,  all  was  said.  A  camp  is  a 
camp,  and  the  older  it  is  the  worse  it  grows.  After 
the  life  of  the  Bluff,  with  its  primitive  cleanliness,  its 
great  spaces,  its  comfort  and  its  stillness,  the  close 
air  and  squalor  of  billets,  the  shifts  and  dirty  floors, 
the  sharp  orders  and  sounds  of  punishment,  even  the 
oaths  and  coarse  talk  to  which  custom  had  once  in 
ured  me,  jarred  on  me  unspeakably.  Nor  was  the 
distaste  with  which  I  looked  about  me,  as  I  passed 

149 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

along  the  village  street,  lessened  by  the  thought 
that  for  some  time  to  come  my  wound  would  with 
hold  me  from  action  and  confine  me  to  the  narrow 
bounds  of  the  camp. 

I  had  not  many  minutes  to  spare  for  these  or  for 
any  reflections.  It  was  but  a  short  distance,  the 
length  of  a  measured  stroll,  from  the  lodging  where 
Paton  had  taken  me  in,  to  where  my  Lord  had  his 
headquarters,  nearly  at  the  end  of  the  village.  I 
soon  arrived  at  the  place,  a  low  white  house,  set 
back  a  little  from  the  street  and  separated  from  it 
by  a  row  of  fine  shade  trees  which  sheltered  a  rough 
table  and  some  benches.  There  was  the  usual 
throng  about  the  door,  but  I  pushed  my  way  through 
it,  and  the  orderly  who  had  summoned  me,  and  who 
was  on  the  look-out,  ushered  me  without  delay  into 
my  Lord's  presence. 

A  man  of  my  own  age,  twenty-seven  or  twenty- 
eight,  was  seated  at  the  head  of  a  table  strewn 
with  papers  and  maps.  Webster,  who  commanded 
the  Twenty-Third,  sat  at  the  foot  of  the  table  and 
between  the  two  were  ranged  five  or  six  men  of 
varying  ages,  of  whom  one  or  two  were  not  in  uni 
form.  I  saw  as  much  as  this  at  a  glance,  as  I 
crossed  the  threshold.  Then  my  Lord  rose  and  came 
forward  to  meet  me  with  a  cordiality  that  sat  well 
on  his  years  without  derogating  from  his  rank. 

150 


THE     MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

''My  dear  Craven,"  he  said,  shaking  me  by  the 
hand,  "welcome  back  to  life!  Tarleton  has  done 
some  good  work,  but  he  has  never  done  His  Majesty's 
cause  a  greajter  service  than  by  restoring  you  to  it. 
Your  arm?  How  is  it?" 

"Doing  well,  my  lord,"  I  murmured.  And  I 
thanked  him. 

"Excellent!  Well,  an  express  went  to  your  father 
three  weeks  ago  enclosed  in  the  Commander-in- 
Chief's  despatches,  which  told  him  of  your  safety. 
You  will  dine  with  me  to-night  and  tell  me  about 
poor  Ferguson's  affair.  Poor  fellow!  Poor  fellow! 
But  there,  sit  down  now!  No,  gentlemen,  you 
must  keep  your  congratulations  until  later.  Time 
presses  and  the  matter  we  are  on  brooks  no  delay. 
Brigadier,"  he  continued,  addressing  Webster,  "find 
room  for  Major  Craven  beside  you  —  and  have  a  care 
of  his  arm.  He  is  here  just  in  time  to  be  of  service  to 
us,  and  now — "  He  broke  off,  his  attention  di 
verted  by  a  movement  at  the  table.  "What  is 
it?"  he  asked,  turning  sharply  in  his  chair,  and 
extending  his  arm  so  as  to  bar  the  way  to  the  door. 

One  of  the  men  in  civilian  dress,  who  had  risen 
from  his  seat  at  my  entrance,  muttered  something. 
He  would  be  glad  of  his  lordship's  permission  to  — 
and  with  a  murmur  and  a  low  bow,  he  was  for  leaving 
the  room. 

151 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

But  my  lord  stopped  him.  "No,  sir,"  he  cried 
peremptorily.  "  Sit  down !  "  And  without  deigning 
to  hear  the  man's  reasons,  he  motioned  him  back 
to  his  chair.  "Sit  down,  sir!  Sit  down!  Non 
sense,  man  we  shall  not  be  fifteen  minutes,  and 
your  matter  can  wait.  We  may  need  you,  we  shall 
almost  certainly  need  you.  Now  Major  Craven,  I 
require  your  attention.  Am  I  right  in  saying  that 
about  three  months  ago  you  rode  across  the  coun 
try  that  lies  between  the  forks  of  the  Congaree  — 
from  the  Enoree  to  the  Broad  River?  That  is  so, 
is  it  not?" 

"I  did,  my  lord,"  I  said.  "I  spent  three  days  in 
the  district,  mainly  on  the  Tiger  River." , 

"About  the  level  of  Fishdam?" 

"Yes,  my  lord,  and  a  little  farther  north  —  as 
far  as  Brandon's  Camp. " 

"Then  just  take  that  map  —  give  it  him,  Haldane 
—  and  describe  for  us  the  nature  of  the  country 
west  of  Fishdam  Ford.  It's  high  ground,  isn't  it? 
A  sort  of  spine?  Sumter  is  lying  in  that  neighbor 
hood,  as  you  probably  know.  If  you  don't,  it  is 
the  fact,  and  we  propose,  all  being  well,  to  surprise 
him  to-night." 

"To-morrow  night,  by  your  leave,  my  lord," 
some  one  interjected. 

"To-night,"  Rawdon  replied  dryly  and  with 
152 


THE     MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

emphasis;  and  he  withered  the  interrupter  with  a 
look.  "That  is  a  detail,"  he  continued,  "which 
I  confess  I  have  kept  from  you,  gentlemen,  —  with 
the  exception  of  the  Brigadier  and  Major  Wemyss 
—  until  this  moment.  A  mounted  force  of  the 
63rd  has  gone  forward,  and  should  be  already 
beyond  Mobley  Meeting-house.  Major  Wemyss 
who  is  to  command  them  rides  express  from  here 
within  the  hour.  The  attack  will  be  made  to-night, 
or  in  the  small  hours  of  the  morning,  but  it  entirely 
depends  for  its  success  on  surprise.  Our  numbers 
are  not  large  and  General  Sumter  is  in  some  strength, 
with  reinforcements  not  far  off  —  Triggs,  Clarke, 
and  their  irregulars.  If  he  has  warning  he  may 
turn  the  tables  on  us.  That  being  so,  gentlemen,  and 
because  so  many  of  our  plans  have  been  disclosed  of 
late  —  God  knows  how !  —  I  have  advanced  the 
time  of  the  attack  to  to-night. " 

There  was  a  general  murmur  of  assent  and  ap 
proval. 

"Now,  Major  Craven,"  my  lord  continued,  "will 
you  detail  for  us  the  nature  of  the  country  as  you 
remember  it,  and  as  precisely  as  you  can.  We  have 
other  information,  of  course,  but  I  wish  to  see  if 
it  tallies  with  yours.  Your  return  to-day  is  a  piece 
of  good  fortune. " 

I  explained  with  the  map  before  me  the  main 
153 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

features,  as  I  remembered  them.  My  former  journey 
had  been  made  at  some  risk  just  before  Gates's 
advance  to  Camden  and  with  a  view  to  an  advance 
on  our  side.  What  I  detailed  seemed  to  confirm 
the  information  already  in  our  possession  as  well  as 
the  report  of  Sumter's  position.  Wemyss,  who  was 
naturally  the  most  deeply  concerned,  and  who 
followed  my  explanation  with  great  care  on  another 
map,  put  a  number  of  questions  to  me;  and  in  this 
he  was  seconded  by  Webster.  When  I  had  answered 
these  questions  to  the  best  of  my  power,  Wemyss 
addressed  the  man  on  my  right  —  the  same  who  had 
risen  and  sat  down  again. 

I  should  explain  that  Webster,  the  Brigadier,  was 
on  my  left  hand,  sitting  at  the  end  of  the  table. 
I  could  apprehend  by  this  time  who  were  there. 
There  were  seven  altogether,  five  soldiers  and  two 
civilians. 

"What  I  want  to  know  is  this,  Mr.  Burton," 
Wemyss  asked.  "Are  you  sure  that  Triggs  and 
Clarke,  with  the  southern  rebels,  have  not  joined 
Sumter?  This  is  a  point  of  the  utmost  importance. 
It  is  life  or  death  to  us.  Are  you  clear  about  it?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  Burton,  let  us  hear  you  on  that," 
my  lord  said. 

The  question  was  put  at  an  unlucky  moment  for 
my  neighbor  had  just  taken  .a  pinch  of  snuff  which 

154 


set  him  sneezing.  With  difficulty  he  managed  to 
say  that  —  tishoo !  on  that  point  he  was  —  tishoo ! 
clear  —  quite  clear,  my  lord ! 

"And  just  one  point  more,  my  lord,"  Wemyss 
insisted.  "Are  you  sure,  Mr.  Burton,  that  Triggs 
and  Clarke  are  not  near  enough  to  join  Sumter 
to-day?  Before  the  time  of  my  attack,  sir,  do  you 
see?  Because  that  is  just  as  important." 

"Yes,  we  want  no  more  mistakes,"  my  lord 
chimed  in.  "Let  us  be  certain  this  time.  What  do 
you  say  to  that,  Mr.  Burton?" 

Mr.  Burton,  a  stoutish  man  in  brown,  with  a  neat 
well-floured  head  —  I  could  see  so  much  of  him,  but 
little  more,  as  he  was  next  to  me  —  sneezed  again  and 
violently.  It  was  all  he  could  do  to  answer  in  a 
half -strangled  voice  that  —  'tishoo !  he  was  sure  of 
that  also  —  quite  sure,  my  lord! 

One  or  two  laughed  at  his  predicament,  but  my 
lord  was  not  pleased.  "If  you  can't  take  snuff 
without  sneezing,"  he  said  sharply,  "why,  the 
devil,  man,  do  you  take  it !  Why  do  you  take  it? 
Now,  Wemyss,  have  you  all  the  information  you 
need,  do  you  think?  Are  you  sure?  Don't  be 
hurried.  You  must  not  let  Sumter  get  the  better 
of  you,  as  Marion  did." 

I  think  that  Wemyss  was  not  well  pleased  with  the 
reminder  that  he  had  not  been  lucky  on  the  Pee  Dee. 

155 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

At  any  rate  he  did  not  take  the  hint  to  ask  further 
questions.  He  was  already  on  his  feet  and  he  an 
swered  that  he  thought  that  he  now  had  all  that  he 
wanted.  "If  I  don't  do  it  with  what  I  know,"  he 
continued  rather  sulkily,  "I  shall  not  do  it  at  all. 
And  by  your  leave,  my  lord, "  he  continued,  moving 
towards  the  door,  "I  will  lose  no  more  time.  My 
horses  are  outside  and  it  will  be  as  much  as  I  can 
do  to  overtake  my  men.  We  can't  go  by  the 
cross-cuts  and  wood-roads  that  these  d  —  d  fellows 
use." 

"Nor  by  the  marshes,"  some  one  said,  hinting 
slyly  at  his  Pee  Dee  campaign. 

"No,  we  are  not  web-footed,"  Wemyss  grunted. 

"Well,  very  good,"  my  lord  answered  indulgently. 
"Go,  by  all  means,  and  good  luck  to  you,  Wemyss. 
Catch  that  d  —  d  fellow  Sumter  if  you  can !  By 
G  —  d,  I  hope  you  may,  and  good  luck  to 
you!" 

We  echoed  the  wish,  one  after  another.  My  lord 
rose  from  the  table,  others  rose.  There  was  a  little 
confusion.  I  turned  to  say  a  word  to  my  snuff- 
taking  neighbor,  but  he  had  turned  his  shoulder 
towards  me  and  was  already  on  his  feet,  speaking  to 
Haldane,  the  General's  aide,  who  was  between  him 
and  the  door. 

Webster  saw  that  I  looked  at  him.  He  winked. 
156 


THE     MAN     WITH    TWO    FACES 

"A  good  man  that,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice.  "He 
has  given  us  a  great  deal  of  information,  a  vast  lot 
of  information.  He  comes  from  the  other  side  of 
the  hills  on  the  Tennessee  slope.  He  is  a  back 
waters  man,  but  he  knows  this  country  well.  A 
strong  King's  man  and  damned  useful  to  us  of  late, 
d  —  d  useful,  I  can  tell  you. " 

"If  he  comes  from  the  Tennessee  slope,"  I  said 
pricking  up  my  ears,  "he  may  know  the  place  I  was 
at.  It's  on  this  side,  but  not  far  from  the  foot  of 
the  mountains.  The  man's  name  was  Wilmer  — 
the  man  who  took  me.  He  treated  me  well,  too, 
General,  very  well !  Shall  we  ask  him?" 

Webster  was  still  in  his  seat  at  the  table  —  a  stout 
heavy  man,  slow  in  his  movements,  but  shrewd  and 
a  very  able  soldier.  He  raised  his  voice.  "Mr. 
Burton ! "  he  cried.  "  Hie !  I  want  you. " 

But  Burton  was  now  within  a  pace  or  two  of  the 
door.  He  did  not  hear,  and  would  have  escaped  if 
he  had  not  been  forced  to  give  place  to  the  Chief  who 
was  in  the  act  of  passing  out  at  that  moment.  This 
detained  Burton,  but  for  an  instant  only  —  he 
seemed  to  be  in  a  great  hurry;  and  seeing  this 
and  that  in  another  moment  he  would  be  gone, 
Webster  appealed  to  Haldane  who  was  also  going 
out. 

"  Haldane !"  he  cried.    "Stop  Mr.   Burton!    I 
157 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

want  to  speak  to  him.  Damme,  has  the  man  turned 
deaf  all  in  a  minute!  What  has  come  to  him? 
Here,  bring  him  back ! " 

The  aide  did  as  he  was  told,  tapping  his  man  on 
the  shoulder,  and  pointing  to  us. 

"The  Brigadier  wants  you,"  he  said.  "He's 
speaking  to  you. " 

"D  —  n  the  man,  he's  as  deaf  as  a  post !  Mr. 
Burton!"  Webster  cried.  "Mr.  Burton!  One  min 
ute  !  Didn't  you  hear  me  call  you?  Major  Craven 
wants  to  ask  you  a  question. " 

Webster  rose  as  he  spoke.  I  rose.  My  lord  had 
disappeared,  but  could  still  be  heard  in  the  passage 
speaking  to  some  one.  There  were  only  Webster 
and  I,  Haldane  and  Burton  left  in  the  room.  The 
civilian,  thus  summoned  —  and  Webster's  voice 
had  grown  peremptory  —  turned  back  to  us;  a  big 
clumsy  figure  of  a  man  with  his  head  sunk  low 
between  his  shoulders,  an  enormous  stock,  and  a 
thick  queue.  He  looked  more  like  a  quaker  than  a 
planter,  and  he  seemed  to  b«  an  inveterate  snuffer, 
for  in  the  act  of  turning  he  had  his  box  out  again  and 
a  pinch  raised  to  his  nose.  A  heavy,  good-natured- 
looking  man  he  seemed;  one  who  might  have 
stepped  out  of  a  counting-house  in  'Change  Alley, 
and  whose  appearance  would  have  surprised  me 
more  if  I  had  not  seen  the  queer  wigs  and  queues  in 

158 


THE    MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

which  the  New  Hampshire  farmers,  even  in  the 
backwoods,  took  the  field. 

"Your  servant,  sir/'  he  said,  civilly  enough,  now 
we  had  got  him. 

"You  come  from  the  Tennessee  slope,  Mr.  Burton, 
I  understand?"  I  said. 

"There  or  thereabouts,  sir,"  he  answered  in  the 
same  tone.  And  he  blew  out  his  cheeks  after  a 
clownish  fashion.  , 

"Do  you  know  by  any  chance  the  man  who  took 
me?"  I  asked.  "His  plantation  lies  about  four 
miles  east  of  King's  Mountain  and  just  over  the 
colony  line.  It's  on  Crowder's  creek  or  one  of  the 
small  creeks  west  of  the  Catawba.  They  call  the 
place  the  Bluff  and  it  cannot  be  very  far  west  of 
Wahub's  Plantation?" 

He  pondered,  a  pinch  of  snuff  at  his  nose.  "Well, 
I  am  not  sure,  sir,"  he  said  slowly,  "I  think  I  should 
know  it. " 

"His  name  is  Wilmer." 

"  Wilmer  ?    Wilmer  ?  "  he  muttered.    "  Umph  ?  " 

"A  tall,  lean  man,"  I  said,  thinking  to  assist  his 
memory,  which,  it  was  plain,  worked  sluggishly.  "I 
should  say  a  man  of  some  standing  in  his  district. 
He  treated  me  well.  He  could  not  have  treated 
me  better  or  behaved  more  handsomely,  indeed. 
In  fact,  I  may  say  that  he  saved  my  life  — •" 

159 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

I  stopped.  I  stared  at  the  man,  at  his  short  wide 
face,  which  would  have  been  jovial  if  it  had  not 
been  so  heavy,  at  his  powdered  head.  His  fingers, 
raised  to  convey  the  pinch  of  snuff  to  his  nose  cov 
ered  the  lower  part  of  his  countenance,  but  I  noted 
that  he  had  a  shaky  hand  —  some  of  the  snuff  fell 
on  his  stock.  He  puffed  out  his  cheeks  as  he  pre 
pared  to  answer,  but  when  he  did  so,  it  was  only  to 
repeat  my  last  words.  "Saved  your  life,  sir,  did 
he?"  he  murmured.  "So  I  have  heard.  He  took 
you  into  his  house,  I  understand?" 

I  stared  at  him.  "That  was  so,"  I  said.  Where 
had  I  seen  some  one  —  some  one?  My  heart 
began  to  beat  quickly. 

He  sneezed.  "Of  Wilmer's  Bluff?"  he  muttered. 
"Well,  I  think  I  should  know  him,  Major,  I  b'lieve 
I  know  him.  And  he  saved  your  life,  sir,  did  he? 
He  saved  your  life?  " 

We  stared  at  one  another.  Haldane,  summoned 
by  a  voice  from  the  passage  turned  to  leave  the  room. 
Webster  laughed  —  evidently  the  man's  oddities 
were  known  to  him  and  he  saw  nothing  out  of  the 
common  in  his  manner.  "Gad,  Craven!  You  look 
surprised,"  he  said  with  a  chuckle.  "But  Mr. 
Burton  has  a  vast  deal  of  information.  He  knows 
what  is  passing  as  well  as  any  man,  by  Gad !  Well, 
I  must  be  going.  See  you  at  dinner?  You  had 

160, 


THE    MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

better  be  going  soon,  for  the  Chief  is  coming  back, 
and  he  likes  to  have  the  room  to  himself. " 

Sharp  as  the  shock  had  been,  the  moment  of  time 
that  Webster's  words  gained  for  me,  helped  me  to 
collect  myself.  Before  he  was  out  of  the  room  I 
spoke.  "Yes,  Mr.  Burton,"  I  said,  "we  had  better 
be  going!" 

His  eyes  questioned  me. 

"We'll  go  to  my  quarters  —  in  the  first  place," 
I  said. 

He  had  still  a  hope  I  think  that  I  had  no  more  than 
suspicion  in  my  mind  —  that  I  did  not  know;  for 
he  fenced  with  me,  his  eyes  on  my  face.  "In  an 
hour,  sir,"  he  said,  "I  can  be  at  your  service. 
Heartily  at  your  service,  sir." 

"In  an  hour,"  I  replied  gravely,  "it  will  be  too 
late  for  either  of  us  to  be  of  service  to  the  other. 
You  know  many  things,  Mr.  Burton, "  I  continued, 
"  but  I  know  one  thing.  You  will  be  wise  to  give  me 
your  arm  and  to  come  with  me  to  my  quarters  at 
once.  Will  you  go  before  me?" 

I  made  way  for  him  and  followed  him  closely  from 
the  room  and  the  house.  Outside  I  saw  Paton  seated 
on  one  of  the  benches  before  the  door.  "Paton," 
I  said,  "come  with  me.  I  want  you." 

My  tone  surprised  him,  and  reinforced  by  a  glance 
at  my  face  put  him  on  the  alert.  He  rose  at  once 

161 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

and  joined  us.  By  this  time  I  had  a  pretty  good 
notion  what  I  should  do,  and  when  we  had  walked 
a  few  yards  in  silence,  "Paton,"  I  said,  "Mr.  Burton 
is  going  to  give  me  some  information  and  we  want 
no  listeners  and  no  interruption.  I  am  going  to 
take  him  to  our  quarters  and  I  want  you  to  keep  the 
door  below  and  to  see  that  no  one  comes  in  or  goes 
out  while  we  are  together.  Do  you  understand?" 
Paton  looked  at  me  and  looked  at  Burton  and  no 
doubt  he  saw  that  the  thing,  whatever  it  was,  was 
serious.  He  whistled  softly.  "I  understand!"  he 
said.  And  then,  "There  is  my  man,"  he  added, 
"would  you  like  him  too?" 
"  Yes,  I  would, "  I  said.  "  Bid  him  be  within  call. " 
Burton  maintained  an  easy  silence  as  he  moved 
beside  me,  and  in  this  fashion,  followed  by  Paton's 
man  who  had  fallen  in  at  a  sign  from  his  master,  we 
walked  up  the  village  street,  threading  the  motley 
crowd  of  blacks  and  whites  who  thronged  it.  Sol 
diers,  leaning  against  garden  fences  or  lounging 
under  the  trees,  saluted  us  as  we  passed.  Sutlers' 
carts  went  by  in  a  long  train.  In  an  interval  between 
two  houses  the  drums  were  practicing.  Here  an 
awkward  squad  was  at  drill  under  a  rough-tongued 
sergeant,  whose  cane  was  seldom  idle,  there  a  troop 
of  the  14th  Dragoons  were  drawn  up  awaiting  their 
officer.  A  shower  had  fallen  earlier  in  the  day,  but 

162 


THE     MAN    WITH    TWO    FACES 

the  sun  had  shone  out  and  the  lively  scene,  the  white 
frame-houses,  the  bowering  foliage  around  them,  the 
bright  uniforms,  the  movement,  formed  one  of  the 
cheerful  interludes  of  war. 

In  other  eyes  than  mine.  For  my  part  I  walked 
through  it,  execrating,  bitterly  execrating  it  all  — 
the  sunshine,  the  leaves  just  touched  by  autumn, 
the  fleecy  sky  —  all!  And  fate.  The  mockery  of 
it  and  the  irony  of  it,  overcame  me.  Of  what  mo 
ment  are  the  bright  hues  of  the  trap  to  the  wild 
creature  that  is  caught  in  it? 

However,  lamentations  must  wait  for  another 
season.  I  had  but  a  few  moments,  and  I  must  act, 
not  think.  A  very  short  walk  brought  us  to  Paton's 
house  in  which  he  had  secured  for  me  the  sole  use  of 
a  liny  attic,  the  only  room  above  stairs  in  what  was 
but  a  small  cottage.  On  the  threshold  I  turned  to 
him.  "You  will  keep  the  door,"  I  said.  "No  one 
is  to  be  allowed  to  go  in  or  out,  Paton,  until  you  see 
me.  You  understand?  Has  your  man  his  side- 
arms?" 

Paton  looked  askance  at  my  companion.  "I 
understand,"  he  said.  "You  may  depend  upon  me, 
Major." 

"Now,  Mr.  Burton,"  I  said.  "I  will  follow  you, 
if  you  please.  I  think  that  we  can  soon  despatch 
this  matter." 

163 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

We  went  in.  I  pointed  to  the  narrow  staircase  — 
it  was  little  better  than  a  ladder  —  and  he  went  up 
before  me.  The  room  was  a  mere  cock-loft  lighted 
by  a  tiny  square  window  on  the  level  of  my  knee 
and  looking  to  the  rear.  But  it  was  private  and  we 
could  just  stand  upright  in  the  middle  of  the  floor. 
I  closed  the  door,  and  turned  to  him. 


164 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  COURT  IS  CLOSED 

As  I  was  walking  all  alane 
I  heard  twa  corbies  making  a  mane 
The  tane  unto  the  tither  say: 
'  Where  satt  we  gang  and  dine  to-day? ' 

*  Ye'll  sit  on  his  white  hause-bane 
And  I'tt  pick  out  his  bonnie  blue  een, 
Wi'  ae  lock  o'  his  gowden  hair 
We'll  theek  our  nest  when  it  grows  bare.' 

ANON. 

"We  had  better  speak  low,  Mr.  Burton,"  I  said. 
"I  will  be  as  short  as  I  can.  You  know  the  position 
as  well  as  I  do,  and  that  if  I  do  my  duty  the  result 
will  be  a  long  rope  and  a  short  shrift  before  night.'* 

He  looked  about  him,  and  drawing  forward  his 
ample  skirts,  he  took  with  much  calmness  —  but 
I  suspected  that  he  was  not  as  cool  as  he  looked  — 
a  seat  on  my  bed.  "  Have  you  not  made  a  mistake, 
Major?"  he  drawled. 

"No,"  I  answered.  "I  have  made  no  mistake, 
I  understand  many  things  now  that  were  dark  to  me 
before;  what  your  daughter  feared,  and  why  she 
kept  you  apart  from  me,  and  —  and  the  enemy's 
knowledge  of  our  plans,  Mr.  Burton. " 

165 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  made  no  farther 
attempt  to  baffle  me  or  to  deny  his  identity.  He  sat, 
a  little  hunched  up  on  the  low  bed  with  his  hands  in 
his  pockets;  and  he  looked  at  me,  quizzically. 
Certainly,  he  was  a  man  of  great  courage.  "Well," 
he  said,  "we're  in  trouble,  sir.  It  has  come  to  that. 
Poor  Con  always  said  that  it  would,  and  that  if  I 
took  you  in  I  should  pay  for  it.  Good  Lord,  if 
she  saw  us  now !  But,  as  it  turns  out,  the  shoe  is 
on  the  other  foot,  Major.  It  is  you  who  will  have 
to  pay  for  it.  I  saved  your  life,  and  you  cannot 
give  me  up.  You  cannot  do  it,  my  friend !" 

I  confess  that  his  answer  and  his  impudence 
confounded  me  and  roused  in  me  an  anger  which 
I  could  hardly  control.  How  I  execrated  alike  the 
ill  luck  that  had  brought  my  rescuers  to  the  Bluff 
and  the  impulse  that  had  led  them  to  wait  for  a  last 
stirrup-cup  —  and  so  to  find  me !  How  above  all 
I  cursed  the  chance  that  had  put  it  into  the  Chief's 
head  to  seek  my  advice  that  morning  —  that  morning 
of  all  mornings  —  before  the  news  of  my  return  had 
gone  abroad ! 

Even  for  the  man  before  me  I  was  concerned; 
he  had  saved  my  life,  he  had  treated  me  well,  and 
he  had  done  both  in  the  face  of  strong  temptation 
to  do  otherwise.  But  I  was  not  so  much  concerned 
for  him  as  for  Constantia.  Poor  Constantia!  The 

166 


THE    COURT    IS    CLOSED 

picture  that  rose  before  me,  of  the  girl,  of  her  love 
for  her  father,  of  her  anxiety,  of  the  Bluff,  of  all, 
rent  my  heart. 

"How  long  have  you  been  doing  this?"  I  asked 
harshly.  My  voice  sounded  hi  my  own  ears  like 
another  man's. 

He  raised  his  eyebrows.  He  did  not  answer. 
He  left  the  burden  on  me. 

"You  won't  say  anything?" 

"Only  that  I  saved  your  life,  Major,"  he^replied 
quaintly.  "I've  done  my  stint,  it  is  for  you  to  do 
yours.  You  can't  give  me  up." 

He  leaned  back,  his  hands  clasped  about  his  knees, 
his  eyes  smiling.  Apparently  he  experienced  no 
doubt,  no  anxiety,  no  alarm;  only  some  faint  amuse 
ment.  But  probably  behind  the  mask,  which  prac 
tice  had  made  to  sit  easily  on  him,  fear  was  working 
as  in  other  men;  probably  he  felt  the  halter  not  far 
from  his  neck.  For  when  I  did  not  answer,  "You've 
not  brought  me  here  for  nothing,  I  suppose?"  he 
said,  speaking  in  a  sharper  tone. 

I  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  an  answer  to  that. 
"No,"  I  said  with  the  bitterness  I  had  so  far  re 
pressed.  "  No,  if  you  must  know,  I  have  brought  you 
here,  to  sink  myself  something  lower  than  you !  To 
pay  the  bill  which  I  owe  for  my  life  with  my  honor ! 
Oh,  its  a  damned  fine  pass,  sir,  you've  brought  me 

167 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

to!"    I  continued  savagely.     "To  soil  hands  that 
I've  kept  clean  so  far,  and  dirty  a  name  — " 

"Stop!"  he  cried.  He  was  on  his  feet  in  a  mo 
ment,  a  changed  man,  sharp,  eager,  angry.  "Lower 
than  me,  you  say?  By  G  —  d,  let  there  be  no  mis 
take,  Major!  If  you  think  I'm  ashamed  of  the 
work  I  am  doing,  I  am  not !  And  I'll  not  let  it  be 
said  that  I  am!  I  am  proud  of  it!  I  am  doing 
work  that  not  one  in  ten  thousand  could  do  or  dare 
do.  Plenty  will  shoot  off  guns  and  face  death  in  hot 
blood  —  it's  a  boy's  task.  But  to  face  death  in  cold 
blood,  and  daily  and  hourly  without  .rest  or  respite; 
to  know  that  the  halter  may  enter  with  every  man 
who  comes  into  the  room,  with  every  letter  that  is 
laid  on  the  table,  with  a  dropped  word  or  a  careless 
look.  To  know  that  it's  waiting  for  you  outside 
every  house  you  leave.  To  face  that,  day  and 
night,  week  in  week  out  —  that  needs  nerve !  That 
calls  for  courage,  I  say  it,  sir,  who  know!  And 
what  is  the  upshot?"  He  swelled  himself  out. 
"Where  others  strike  blows,  I  win  battles!" 

"Ay,"  I  cried  —  he  had  more  to  say,  had  I  let 
him  go  on  —  "but  sometimes  you  lose,  and  this  time 
you  have  lost.  And  having  lost,  you  look  to  me  to 
pay!  You  look  to  me,  sir!  You  take  the  honor, 
d  —  n  you,  and  you  leave  me  the  dishonor !  But 
by  G  —  d,  if  it  were  not  for  your  daughter,  — " 

168 


THE    COURT    IS    CLOSED 

"Ah!"  he  said,  low-voiced  and  attentive. 

"You  should  pay  your  losings  this  time,  though 
you  saved  my  life  twice  over !" 

"Oh,  oh !"  he  said  in  the  same  low  voice.  He  sat 
back  on  the  bed  again,  and  stared  at  me,  as  if  he  saw 
a  different  man  before  him.  After  a  pause,  "Well," 
he  said,  "I  was  a  fool,  Major,  to  blow  my  trumpet, 
and  ruffle  your  temper.  If  I  wanted  to  put  my  head 
in  your  folks'  noose,  that  was  the  way  to  do  it. 
But  every  mother  dotes  on  her  own  booby.  Well, 
you'll  hear  no  more  singing  from  me.  I'm  silent!" 

"When  I  think,"  I  cried,  "of  your  boasts  of  what 
you  have  done!" 

"Don't  think  of  them,"  he  answered.  "Set  me 
dawn  for  a  fool,  Major,  and  let  it  rest  there.  Or 
think  of  the  Bluff  and  Con.  She's  a  good  girl,  and 
fond  of  her  father  and  —  well,  you  know  how  it  is 
with  us. " 

I  was  able  to  collect  myself  within  a  minute  or 
two,  and  —  "Mark  me,"  I  said  firmly,  "I  will  give 
you  up,  Wilmer,  I  will  give  you  up  still,  if  you  depart 
one  jot  from  what  I  tell  you.  You  will  remain  in 
this  room  for  twenty-four  hours.  By  that  time 
Major  Wemyss  will  have  done  his  work,  and  as  the 
time  of  the  attack  has  been  advanced  by  a  night, 
what  you  may  have  communicated  to  your  people 
should  not  change  the  issue.  To-morrow  I  will 

169 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

release  you,  and  give  you  two  hours  start.  You 
will  be  wise  to  avail  yourself  of  it,  for  at  the  end 
of  that  time  I  shall  see  Lord  Rawdon,  make  a  clean 
breast  of  it,  and  take  the  consequences.  I  shall  be 
dismissed,  and  if  I  get  my  deserts  I  shall  be  shot; 
in  any  case  my  name  will  be  disgraced.  But  if  I  am 
not  to  give  you  up,  there  is  no  other  way  out  of  the 
pit  in  which  you  have  caught  me. " 

He  thought  for  a  moment.  Then  "I  will  give 
you,"  he  said,  "my  word  if  you  like,  Craven,  not  to 
pass  on  any  more  — " 

"What,  a  spy's  word?"  I  cried  —  and  very 
foolish  it  was  of  me  to  say  it.  But  the  man  had 
brought  so  much  evil  on  me  that  I  longed  to  wound 
him.  "No!  I'll  have  no  truck  with  you  and  no 
bargain,  Captain  Wilmer.  It  shall  be  as  I  have 
said,  exactly  as  I  have  said,"  I  repeated,  "  or  I  call 
in  the  nearest  guard.  That  is  plain  speaking. " 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "As  you  please,  my 
friend,"  he  said.  "But  why  not  open  Rawdon's 
eyes  as  to  me  —  when  I'm  gone?  and  say  no  more?" 

"And  leave  myself  in  your  power?"  I  cried. 
"No!  I  tell  you  I  will  make  no  bargain  with  you 
and  have  no  truck !  That  way  traitors  are  made !" 

"I  will  swear  if  you  like,  Major  —  " 

"No,"  I  replied  angrily,  "if  I  do  this,  I  will  pay 
for  it." 

170 


THE    COURT    IS    CLOSED 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  once  more.  "Well! 
it's  your  difficulty, "  he  said  dryly,  relapsing  into  his 
earlier  manner.  "And  it  is  for  you  to  get  out  of  it. " 

"Yes,"  I  said,  "and  I  shall  get  out  of  it  in  my 
own  way  and  on  my  own  terms." 

He  did  not  answer  and  I  turned  to  go,  but  I  cast 
my  eyes  round  the  place,  before  I  left  him.  A 
glance  was  enough  to  assure  me  that  a  man  of  his 
size  could  not  pass  through  the  window,  while  there 
was  no  other  way  from  the  room  except  through  the 
guarded  door.  I  went  down  to  Paton.  I  must 
secure  his  help  for  I  had  still  something  to  do. 

Naturally  a  lively  soul,  he  was  agog  with  curiosity, 
which  the  trouble  in  my  face  did  not  lessen.  "  What 
is  the  trouble,  Major?"  he  asked,  taking  my  arm, 
and  drawing  me  apart.  "And  where's  old  Snuff 
and  Sneeze?" 

"He's  in  my  room  and  he's  going  to  stay  there," 
I  said.  Then  I  told  him  a  part  of  the  truth;  that 
I  had  a  clue  to  a  spy,  a  man  in  the  camp  at  this 
moment.  I  added  that  I  believed  Burton  also 
knew  the  man  and  might  be  tempted  to  warn  him, 
if  he  were  free  to  do  so.  That  if  Burton  attempted 
to  leave  the  house,  therefore,  he  must  be  arrested; 
but  that  I  aimed  at  avoiding  this  if  possible,  as  I  did 
not  wish  to  estrange  the  man.  "I  leave  you  on 
guard,"  I  said.  "I  depend  on  you,  Paton." 

171 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"But  I'm  on  duty,  Major,"  he  objected,  "in  an 
hour." 

"I  shall  be  back  in  half  an  hour,"  I  explained. 
"After  that  I  will  be  answerable." 

"Very  good,"  he  rejoined.  "But  you  know  what 
you  are  doing?  You  have  no  doubt  I  suppose? 
Burton  has  the  Chief's  ear,  and  Webster  believes  in 
him  and  makes  much  of  him.  There'll  be  the  deuce 
of  a  fracas  if  he's  arrested  and  there's  nothing  in  it. " 

"Do  you  arrest  him  if  he  leaves  the  house, "  I  said, 
"and  leave  it  to  me  to  explain.  I  don't  think  he  will, 
and  as  long  as  he  remains  upstairs  let  him  be. 
That's  clear,  is  it  not?" 

He  allowed  that  it  was,  and  with  a  heavy  heart 
I  left  him  in  charge  and  went  on  my  errand. 

I  suppose  that  there  were  the  same  splashes  of 
red  among  the  trees,  where  the  King's  uniform  peeped 
through  the  foliage,  the  same  men  lounging  about, 
the  same  squads  practicing  the  Norfolk  discipline, 
the  same  rack  of  thin  clouds  passing  across  the  sun 
shine,  the  same  drum  playing  the  Retreat  and  the 
Tattoo,  or  the  plaintive  notes  of  Roslyn  Castle. 
But  I  neither  saw  nor  heard  any  of  these  things. 
My  whole  mind  was  bent  on  finding  my  lord  and 
getting  an  express  —  no  matter  on  what  excuse 
—  sent  after  Wemyss  to  warn  him,  and  to  put  him  on 
his  guard.  An  orderly  on  a  swift  horse  might  still 

172 


THE    COURT    IS    CLOSED 

by  hard  riding  overtake  him;  and  such  a  message 
as  "the  enemy  expect  you  to-morrow  night,  but 
do  not  expect  you  to-night  —  have  a  care"  might 
avail.  At  worst  it  would  relieve  my  conscience,t 
at  the  same  time  that  it  lessened  the  heavy  weight 
of  responsibility  that  crushed  me. 

I  should  then  have  done  all  that  I  could,  and  nearly 
all  that  could  be  done,  were  the  truth  known. 

But  my  lord  was  not  at  Headquarters,  nor  could 
they  say  where  he  was;  and  when  I  sought  Webster, 
who  had  his  lodgings  at  a  tavern,  a  hundred  yards 
farther  down  the  road,  he,  too,  was  away.  He  had 
gone  to  visit  the  outposts  eastward.  Time  was 
passing,  Wemyss  had  a  start  of  two  hours,  and  was 
himself  riding  express;  every  moment  that  I  lost 
made  it  more  doubtful  if  he  could  be  overtaken. 
With  a  groan  I  gave  up  the  idea,  and,  turning  about, 
I  made  the  best  of  my  way  back  towards  Paton's 
quarters. 

Fifty  yards  short  of  the  house  whom  should  I  meet 
but  Haybittle,  red-faced,  grey-haired,  and  dogged, 
his  green  uniform  shabby  with  hard  usage.  He  was 
riding  up  the  street  with  an  orderly  behind  him,  and 
when  he  saw  me,  he  pulled  his  horse  across  the  road 
and  hailed  me  with  a  grin.  "Major,"  he  said, 
"What's  this?  There's  a  young  woman  of  the  name 
of  Simms  hunting  you  like  a  wild  cat.  It's  easy  to 

173 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

see  what  it  is  she  has  against  you !  Come,  I  didn't 
think  it  of  you  —  really  I  didn't,  Major !  A  man 
of  your  — " 

"Pooh!"  I  cried,  "it's  her  husband  that  she 
wishes  to  hear  of. " 

"Oh,  of  course,  it's  always  the  husband  is  the 
trouble ! "  he  laughed.  "  You  are  right  there ! " 

"Well,  come  on,"  I  answered  irritably,  "I  want  to 
hear  about  the  woman,  but  I  cannot  stop  now. 
Come  to  Paton's  and  tell  me  what  she  said.  He's 
waiting  for  me,  and  he's  next  for  duty.  I  am  late 
as  it  is!" 

I  pushed  on,  and  Haybittle  turned  his  horse  and 
followed  at  my  heels.  Over  my  shoulder,  "I  wish 
you'd  seen  that  Quaker  fellow,  Burton,  a  minute 
ago,"  he  said.  "Lord,  he  was  a  figure,  Major! 
He'd  borrowed  a  troop-horse,  he  told  me,  and  it 
had  tripped  over  a  tent-rope  in  the  lines  and  given 
him  a  fall.  His  stock  was  torn  — " 

I  turned  on  the  man  so  sharply,  that  his  horse 
had  much  ado  not  to  knock  me  down.  "What?" 
I  cried.  "You  met  Burton  —  now?" 

"  Two  minutes  ago.    He  was  riding  express  for  — " 

"Riding?" 

"To  be  sure,  riding  towards  Mobley's  Meeting 
House,  and  sharp,  too!  Why,  what  is  it,  man? 
You  look  as  if  you  had  seen  a  bailiff!" 

174 


THE    COURT    IS    CLOSED 

I  did  not  doubt.  In  a  moment  I  knew.  Though 
the  house  stood  only  twenty  paces  from  us  and 
Paton  was  at  the  door,  I  did  not  go  in  to  see.  A  wave 
of  anger,  fierce,  unreasoning,  irresistible  swept  me 
away  —  and  yet  had  I  reasoned  what  else  could  I 
have  done?  I  seized  Haybittle's  rein  with  my 
free  hand.  "Then  follow  him!"  I  cried,  pointing 
the  way  with  my  crippled  arm.  "After  him !  Ride 
like  fury,  man!  He's  a  spy!  After  him!  Stop 
him,  or  shoot  him !" 

Haybittle  stared  at  me  as  if  I  had  gone  mad.  "  Do 
you  mean  it?"  he  asked.  "Are  you  sure,  Major? 
Quite  sure?"  He  held  his  cane  suspended  in  the 
air. 

"Go,  man,  go!"  I  cried,  wildly  excited.  "My 
order!  Follow  him,  follow  him!  Fishdam  is  his 
point !  Turn  all  after  him  that  you  meet.  A  spy ! 
Shout  it  before  you  as  you  go !" 

"A  spy?"  Haybittle  yelled.  "D  — n  him, 
we'll  catch  him !"  His  cane  fell,  his  horse  leapt  off 
at  a  galop.  The  orderly  followed,  his  knee  abreast 
of  the  Captain's  crupper.  Two  troopers  of  the 
Fourteenth  who  were  passing,  heard  the  cry,  turned 
their  horses,  and  spurred  after  them.  With  a  loud 
View  Halloo  the  four  pounded  away  down  the  road, 
spreading  the  alarm  before  them,  as  they  rode. 

Paton  who  had  heard  what  was  said  rushed  int 
175 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

the  house.  He  did  not  believe  it,  I  think.  In  a 
trice  he  was  out  again.  "I  can't  open  the  door," 
he  panted.  "The  bed  is  against  it.  Round  the 
house,  Major!" 

He  led  the  way,  we  ran  round  the  house.  At  the 
back  the  little  window,  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  was 
open.  Below  it  a  plot  of  rough  orchard  ground,  in 
which  two  or  three  trees  had  been  felled,  ran  down 
to  a  branch.  On  the  farther  side  of  the  water  were 
some  horse  lines.  We  stared  up  at  the  window. 
"But,  d  —  mme,  man,  he  couldn't  do  it!"  Paton 
cried.  "He  couldn't  pass.  Burton  is  as  fat  as 
butter!" 

I  swore.  "  That's  what  I  forgot ! "  I  said.  "  He's 
padded !  He's  as  lean  as  a  herring ! " 

We  ran  round  to  the  front  again.  The  hallooing 
came  faintly  up  the  road.  Already  all  the  camp  in 
that  direction  was  roused  and  in  a  ferment.  Two 
troopers  galloped  by  us  as  we  reached  the  road.  An 
officer  followed,  spurring  furiously.  "That's  Swan- 
ton  on  the  bay  that  won  the  match  last  week," 
Paton  said;  and  he  yelled  "Forrard  away!  After 
him!  If  Burton  is  on  a  common  troop-horse," 
he  continued,  "and  he  cannot  have  had  time  to 
pick  and  choose,  his  start  won't  save  him!  The 
bay  will  be  at  his  girths  within  five  miles !" 

"  If  they  are  to  catch  him  they  must  do  it  quickly, " 
176 


THE    COURT    IS    CLOSED 

I  groaned.  "If  he  draws  clear  of  the  settlement, 
he  knows  the  roads  and  they  don't. " 

"He'll  be  afraid  to  extend  his  horse  until  the 
alarm  overtakes  him, "  Paton  answered.  "  He  would 
be  stopped  if  he  did,  and  questioned.  There  are 
many  on  the  roads  this  morning.  Haybittle  noticed 
him,  you  see.  But  what  does  it  all  mean,  Craven?" 
he  continued. 

We  were  standing,  looking  down  the  road.  Half 
a  hundred  others,  all  staring  the  same  way,  were 
grouped  about  us.  "He's  gone  to  warn  Sumter," 
I  said  dully.  The  excitement  was  dying  down  in  me 
and  I  was  beginning  to  see  what  lay  before  me  — 
whether  he  escaped  or  were  taken.  "If  he  reaches 
Sumter  before  Wemyss  attacks  —  and  Wemyss  may 
not  attack  before  daybreak  —  heaven  help  us! 
The  surprise  will  be  on  the  wrong  side !" 

Paton  whistled.     "  Our  poor  lads !"  he  said. 

For  a  moment  my  anger  rose  anew.  But,  Paton 
looking  curiously  at  me  and  wondering,  I  don't 
doubt,  why  I  had  given  the  man  the  chance  to  escape, 
my  heart  sank  again.  Wilmer's  determined  act,  his 
grim  persistence  in  his  damnable  mission,  had  sunk 
me  below  anything  I  had  foreseen.  If  he  escaped, 
the  blood  of  our  men  lay  on  my  conscience.  If  he 
were  taken,  I  had  bargained  with  him  to  no  purpose, 
and  soiled  my  hands  to  no  end.  My  act  must  send 

177 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

him  to  the  gallows,  my  very  voice  must  witness 
against  him!  And  Con?  Ay,  poor  Con,  indeed,  I 
thought.  For  even  as  I  stood  stricken  and  miserable, 
gazing  with  scores  of  sight-seers  down  the  road,  and 
waiting  for  the  first  news  of  the  issue,  she  rose  before 
my  mind's  eye,  tall  and  slender  and  grave  and 
dressed  in  white,  as  I  had  seen  her  on  that  evening, 
when  she  had  flung  herself  into  her  father's  arms; 
the  father  whom  I,  then  crouching  in  pain  in  the 
saddle  below,  was  destined  to  bring  to  this!  To 
bring  to  this !  I  thought  with  horror  of  my  arrival 
at  the  Bluff,  of  the  lights,  the  barking  dogs,  the 
blacks'  grinning  faces  and  staring  eyeballs!  I 
thought  with  terror  of  her  cry  that  ill  would  come  of 
it  —  ill  would  come  of  it!  I  felt  myself  the  blind 
tool  of  fate  working  out  a  tragedy,  which  had  begun 
beside  poor  Simms's  body  in  that  little  clearing 
fringed  with  the  red  sumach  bushes ! 

Why,  oh  why  had  not  the  man  been  content  to 
stay  where  I  had  placed  him?  And  why,  oh  why 
—  I  saw  the  error  now  —  had  I  not  taken  the  parole 
he  had  offered  me?  I  did  not  doubt  that  he  would 
have  kept  it,  if  I  had  trusted  him.  But  I  had  re 
fused  it,  and  the  chance  of  striking  a  new  and  final 
blow  had  tempted  him  to  my  undoing. 

So  different  were  my  thoughts  from  the  uncon 
scious  Paton's,  as  shoulder  to  shoulder  we  stared 

178 


THE    COURT    IS    CLOSED 

down  the  road;  while  round  us  the  crowd  grew 
dense  and  men  of  the  23rd  tossed  questions  from 
one  to  the  other,  and  troopers  of  the  Legion  coming 
up  from  Headquarters  drew  bridle  to  learn  what 
was  on  foot  —  until  presently  their  numbers  blocked 
the  road.  Bare-armed  men,  still  rubbing  bit  or 
lock,  made  wagers  on  the  result,  and  peered  into 
the  distance  for  the  first  flutter  of  news.  A  spy? 
Men  swore  grimly.  "  Hell !  I  hope  they  catch  him ! " 
they  growled. 

Presently  into  the  thick  of  this  crowd  there 
rode  up  the  Brigadier,  asking  with  objurgations 
what  the  men  meant  by  blocking  the  road.  The 
nearest  to  him  gave  ground,  those  farther  away 
explained.  One  or  two  pointed  to  me.  He  pushed 
his  horse  through  the  throng  to  my  side. 

"What's  this  rubbish  they  are  telling  me?" 
he  exclaimed  peevishly.  "Burton,  man?  A  spy? 
It's  impossible!  You  can't  be  in  earnest?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  I  said  sorrowfully;  and  I  knew  that 
with  those  words  I  cast  the  die.  "He  was  fighting 
against  us  at  King's  Mountain.  He  is  disguised, 
but  I  knew  the  man  —  after  a  time. " 

"His  name  is  not  Burton?" 

"No,  sir,"  I  said.     "His  name  is  Wilmer." 

"What?  The  man  who—"  he  stopped.  He 
looked  oddly  at  me,  and  raised  his  eyebrows.  My 

179 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

story  was  pretty  well  known  in  the  camp  by  this 
time.  Paton  had  spread  it.  "Why,  the  very  man 
that  you  — " 

"Yes,  sir,"  I  said.  "The  man  who  captured  me 
—  and  treated  me  well." 

"Well,  I  am  d  — d!  But  there,  I  hope  to  God 
they  take  him,  all  the  same !  Why  he's  known  every 
thing,  shared  in  everything,  sat  at  our  very  tables! 
Not  a  loyalist  has  been  trusted  farther,  or  known 
more !  He  must  have  cost  us  hundreds  of  our  poor 
fellows,  if  this  be  true.  He's  — " 

"He's  a  brave  man,  General,"  I  said,  speaking  on 
I  know  not  what  impulse. 

"And  he'll  look  very  well  on  a  rope!"  Webster 
retorted.  "Still,  Craven,  I'm  sorry  for  you.*' 

I  could  say  nothing  to  that,  and  a  few  moments 
later  an  end  was  put  to  our  suspense.  A  man  came 
into  sight  far  down  the  road,  galloping  towards  us. 
As  he  drew  nearer  I  saw  that  it  was  a  sutler  on  a 
wretched  nag.  He  waved  a  rag  above  his  head,  a 
signal  which  was  greeted  by  the  crowd  with  a  volley 
of  cheers  and  cries.  "  They've  caught  him !  Hurrah ! 
They've  caught  him !"  a  score  of  voices  shouted. 

I  could  not  speak.  Alike  the  tragedy  of  it,  and 
the  pity  of  it  took  me  by  the  throat,  and  choked  me. 
I  could  have  sworn  at  the  heedless  jeering  crowd, 
I  could  have  spat  curses  at  them.  I  waited  only 

180 


THE     COURT    IS    CLOSED 

until  another  man  came  up  and  confirmed  the  news. 
Then  I  went  into  the  house  and  hid  myself. 

Afterwards  I  learned  that  the  horse  which  Wilmer 
had  seized  was  a  sorry  beast  incapable  of  a  gallop 
and  well-known  in  the  troop.  Viewed  before  he  had 
gone  a  mile,  and  aware  that  he  was  out-paced,  the 
fugitive  had  turned  off  the  road,  hoping  to  hide  in 
the  woods.  But  to  do  this  he  had  had  to  face  his 
horse  at  a  ditch,  and  the  brute  instead  of  leaping  it, 
had  bundled  into  it.  Before  Wilmer  could  free 
himself  or  rise  from  the  ground  his  pursuers  had  come 
up  with  him. 

I  have  said  that  I  went  into  the  house  and  hid 
myself.  Poor  Con !  The  girl's  face  rose  before  me, 
and  dragged  at  my  heartstrings.  I  saw  her,  as  I 
had  seen  her  many  times,  bending  her  dark  head 
over  the  spinning-wheel,  while  the  pigeons  pecked 
about  her  feet,  and  the  cattle  came  lowing  through 
the  ford,  and  round  the  home  pastures  and  the  quiet 
homestead  stretched  the  encircling  woods,  and  the 
misty  hills;  and  I  turned  my  face  to  the  wall  and  I 

wished  that  I  had  never  been  born !    My  poor  Con  I 
***** 

Owing  to  my  lord's  absence  from  the  camp  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  day  a  court  for  the  trial  of  the 
prisoner  could  not  be  assembled  until  four  in  the 
afternoon.  I  dare  not  describe  what  those  inter- 

181 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

vening  hours  were  to  me,  how  long,  how  miser 
able,  how  cruelly  armed  with  remorse  and  upbraid- 
ings !  Nor  will  I  say  much  of  the  trial.  The  result 
from  the  first  was  certain;  there  was  no  defence  and 
there  was  other  evidence  than  mine.  Since  his  dis 
guise  had  been  taken  from  him  two  men  in  the  camp, 
one  a  Tory  from  the  Waxhaws,  the  other  a  deserter, 
had  recognized  the  prisoner;  and  for  a  time  I  hoped 
that  the  Court,  having  a  complete  case,  would  dis 
pense  with  my  presence.  My  position,  and  the  fact 
that  he  had  spared  my  life  and  sheltered  me  in  his 
house  had  become  generally  known,  and  many  felt 
for  me.  But  the  laws  of  discipline  are  strict,  and 
duty,  when  the  lives  of  men  hang  upon  its  per 
formance,  is  harshly  interpreted.  The  Court  saw 
no  reason  why  I  should  be  spared.  At  any  rate 
they  did  not  spare  me. 

When  the  time  to  enter  came  I  was  possessed  by 
a  sharp  fear  of  one  moment  —  the  moment  when 
I  should  meet  Wilmer's  eyes.  They  had  taken  his 
stuffed  clothes  from  him  and  brushed  the  powder 
from  his  hair,  and  when  I  entered  he  stood  between 
his  guards,  a  lean,  straight  sinewy  Southerner,  very 
like  the  man  who  had  stood  over  me  with  a  Deck- 
hard  in  the  little  clearing.  The  light  fell  on  his  face, 
and  he  was  smiling.  Whatever  of  inward  quailing, 
whatever  of  the  natural  human  shrinking  from  the 

182 


THE    COURT    IS    CLOSED 

approach  of  death  he  felt,  he  masked  to  perfection. 
As  for  the  moment  I  had  so  much  feared,  it  was  over 
before  I  was  aware. 

"Hello,  Major!"  he  said,  and  he  nodded  to  me 
pleasantly.  I  don't  know  what  my  face  showed, 
but  he  nodded  again,  as  if  he  would  have  me  know 
that  all  was  well  with  him  and  that  he  bore  me  no 
malice.  "You  want  another  sup  of  whisky,  Major, " 
he  cried  genially. 

"  I  need  hardly  ask  you  after  that, "  the  President 
said,  clasping  his  hands  about  the  hilt  of  the  sword 
which  stood  between  his  knees,  "if  you  know  the 
prisoner?" 

"I  do,  sir." 
!    "Tell  your  story,  witness." 

The  sharp,  business-like  tone  steadied  me,  helped 
me.  With  a  calmness  that  surprised  myself  I 
stated  that  the  prisoner  before  the  Court,  who 
passed  in  Camp,  and  in  disguise,  under  the  name  of 
Burton,  was  the  same  man  who  under  the  name  of 
Wilmer  had  fought  against  us  at  King's  Mountain, 
and  had  there  taken  me  when  wounded,  and  cared 
for  me  in  his  own  house. 

"You  were  present,"  the  President  asked,  "when 
the  plans  for  Major  Wemyss's  advance  were  dis 
cussed  at  Headquarters  before  my  Lord  Rawdon?" 

"I  was,  sir." 

183 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"Was  the  prisoner  also  there?" 

"He  was,  sir." 

"In  disguise  and  under  a  false  name?" 

I  bowed. 

"He  was  taking  part  in  the  debate  as  one  knowing 
the  district?" 

"He  was." 

"You  recognize  the  prisoner  beyond  a  shadow  of 
a  doubt?" 

"I  do." 

Had  the  prisoner  any  questions  to  ask  the  witness? 
He  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  smiled.  No,  he  had 
none.  Other  formalities  followed  —  curt,  decent, 
all  in  order.  A  stranger  coming  in,  ignorant  of  the 
issue,  would  have  thought  that  the  matter  at  stake 
was  trivial.  The  President's  eye  was  already  col 
lecting  the  votes  of  the  other  members  of  the  Court, 
when  I  intervened.  I  stood  forward.  I  desired  to 
say  something. 

"Be  short,  sir.     On  what  point?" 

The  prisoner's  admirable  and  humane  conduct  to 
me,  which  by  preserving  my  life  had  directly  wrought 
his  undoing.  I  desired  some  delay,  and  a  reference 
to  Lord  Cornwallis  — 

"The  matter  is  irrelevant  to  the  charge,"  the 
President  said,  stopping  me  harshly.  "You  can 
stand  back,  sir.  Stand  back!" 

184 


Finding  —  guilty.  Sentence  —  in  the  usual  form. 
Execution  —  within  twenty-four  hours.  All  subject 
to  confirmation  by  the  acting  Commander-in-Chief. 

"The  Court  is  closed." 

I  have  but  sketched  the  scene,  having  no  heart  for 
more  and  no  wish  to  linger  over  it.  There  are  hours 
so  painful  and  situations  so  humiliating  that  the 
memory  shrinks  from  traversing  the  old  ground. 
Wilmer,  on  his  side,  had  no  ground  for  hope,  and  so 
could  bear  himself  bravely  and  with  an  effort  could 
add  magnanimity  to  courage.  He  could  smile  on  me, 
call  me  "  Major"  in  the  old  tone,  banter  me  grimly. 
But  my  part  was  harder.  To  meet  his  eyes,  aware 
of  the  return  I  had  made;  to  know  that  I,  whose  life 
he  had  saved  and  whom  he  had  taken  to  his  home, 
had  doomed  him  to  an  ignominious  death;  to  shrink 
from  the  compassionate  looks  of  friends  and  the 
curious  gaze  of  those  who  scented  a  new  sensation 
and  enjoyed  it;  and  as  a  background  to  all  this  to  see 
in  fancy  the  ashen  face  and  woful  eyes  of  the  girl 
I  loved  and  had  orphaned,  the  girl  who  far  away 
in  that  peaceful  scene  knew  nothing  of  what  was 
passing  here  —  with  all  this  was  it  wonderful  that 
when  I  went  back  to  my  quarters  Paton  refused  to 
leave  me? 

"No,  I  am  not  going,"  he  said.  "You  are  too 
near  the  rocks,  Major !  It's  no  good  looking  at  me 

185 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

as  if  you  could  kill  me.  I  brought  you  away  from 
that  place,  I  know,  and  I'm  d  —  d  sorry  that  I  did ! 
When  you  are  next  taken  you  may  rot  in  Continental 
dungeons  till  the  end  of  time  for  me!  I'll  not  in 
terfere  I  warrant  you.  I've  had  my  lesson.  All  the 
same,  Major,  listen !  You're  taking  this  too  hardly. 
It's  no  fault  of  yours.  The  man  himself  doesn't 
blame  you.  He  had  his  chance.  He  knew  the 
stake,  he  went  double  or  quits,  and  he  lost;  and 
he's  going  to  pay.  Through  you?  Well,  or  through 
me  or  through  another  —  what  does  it  matter?" 

"And  Con?  His  daughter?"  I  said.  "It's  the 
same  to  her,  I  suppose!  Oh,  it's  a  jest,  ad  —  d 
fine  jest  that  fate  has  played  me,  isn't  it !"  And  I 
laughed  in  his  face,  scaring  him  sadly,  he  told  me 
afterwards. 

For  two  or  three  minutes  he  was  silent.  Then  he 
touched  me  on  the  shoulder.  "  I  was  afraid  of  this, " 
he  said  softly.  "See,  here,  man,  you'll  be  the  better 
for  doing  something.  Go  and  see  my  lord.  He's  a 
gentleman.  Tell  him.  Tell  him  all.  See  him  be 
fore  he  goes  out  in  the  morning  —  he  will  be  dining 
now.  I  excused  you,  of  course.  I  don't  think  he'll 
grant  your  request;  frankly  I  don't  think  he  dare 
grant  it  —  it's  a  flagrant  case !  But  you  will  be  do 
ing  something!" 

I  agreed,  miserably,  because  there  was  nothing 
186 


else  I  could  do.  But  I  had  no  hope  of  the  result. 
And  the  slow  and  wretched  hours  went  by  while  I 
walked  the  room  in  a  fever  of  suspense,  and  Paton 
in  spite  of  my  angry  remonstrances  stayed  with  me, 
sometimes  poring  over  a  soldier's  song-book  by  the 
light  of  the  single  candle,  and  at  others  going  down 
for  a  few  moments  to  answer  some  curious  friend. 
I  could  not  face  them  myself,  and  when  the  first 
came,  I  started  to  my  feet.  "  Don't  for  God's  sake, " 
I  cried,  "tell  them!" 

"Lord,  no!"  he  answered.  "Do  you  think  I'm 
an  ass,  Major?  Your  arm's  the  size  of  my  leg  — 
that'll  do  for  them !  It's  all  they'll  hear  from  me !" 

The  longest  night  has  an  end;  and  mercifully  this 
was  not  one  of  the  longest.  For  about  midnight, 
worn  out  by  my  feelings  and  broken  by  the  fatigue 
of  the  journey  from  Rocky  Mount,  I  lay  down, 
and  promptly  I  fell  asleep  and  slept  like  a  log  till 
long  after  reveille  had  sounded,  and  the  camp  was 
astir.  The  awakening  was  dreary;  but,  thank  God, 
I  drew  strength  from  the  new  day.  The  sharpest 
agony  had  passed,  I  was  now  master  of  myself,  re 
signed  to  the  worst  and  prepared  for  it.  True,  I  felt 
myself  years  older,  I  saw  in  life  a  tragedy.  But  in 
my  sleep  I  had  risen  to  the  tragic  level,  and,  waking, 
I  knew  that  it  became  me  to  face  life  with  the  dig 
nity  with  which  her  father  was  confronting  death. 

187 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  WOMAN'S  PART 

You  no  doubt  are  acquainted  with  the  great  attention  and  ten 
derness  shown  my  son  at  Camden  by  all  the  British  officers  that 
he  has  seen,  and  the  Gentlemen  of  the  Faculty,  as  well  as  the 
maternal  kindness  of  Mrs.  Clay. 

CORRESPONDENCE  OF  MRS.  PINKNEY. 

I  was  at  Headquarters  soon  after  nine  in  the 
morning.  There  are  joints  in  the  armor  of  all,  the 
great  have  their  bowels,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that 
had  he  told  the  truth,  my  lord  would  have  given 
much  to  avoid  me  and  my  petition.  But  he  did 
not  try  to  do  so,  and  in  the  spirit  which  now  in 
spired  me,  I  recognised  the  law  under  which  we  all 
lay.  He,  I,  the  man  who  must  suffer,  all  moved 
in  the  clutch  of  remorseless  duty,  all  were  forced 
on  by  the  mind  that  over-rode  the  body  and  its 
preferences. 

Willing  or  unwilling,  he  met  me  with  much  kind 
ness.  "  What  is  it,  Craven  ?  "  he  said.  "  But  I  fear, 
I  very  much  fear  that  I  know  your  errand." 

"If  you  could  see  me  alone,  my  lord?"  I  said. 

"Certainly  I  will."  He  nodded  to  Haldane  and  in 
a  moment  we  were  left  together. 

188 


THE     WOMAN'S    PART 

I  told  him  the  story,  all  the  story;  and  he  heard  me 
with  sympathy.  I  have  said  that  he  was  a  man  of 
my  age,  not  yet  thirty,  but  authority  had  given  him 
force  and  decision,  and  the  patience  that  goes  with 
those  qualities.  "In  Lord  Cornwallis's  absence,  it 
lies  with  you,  my  lord,"  I  concluded,  when  I  had 
told  my  tale,  "to  confirm  the  finding  and  sentence. 
The  man's  life  is  forfeit,  I  cannot  deny  it.  I  do  not 
attempt  to  say  otherwise.  But  the  circumstances 
are  such  —  he  gave  me  my  life,  I  am  taking  his  — 
that  I  am  compelled  to  put  forward  my  own  services 
and  implore  on  my  own  account  what  I  cannot  ask, 
my  lord,  on  his.  If  he  were  confined  in  the  West 
Indies,  for  the  duration  of  the  war,  or  were  sent  to 
England  —  " 

He  stopped  me.  "My  dear  Craven,  the  thing  is 
impossible,"  he  said  gently.  "Impossible!  You 
must  see  that  for  yourself.  In  another  man's  case 
you  would  see  it.  I  should  be  unworthy  of  com 
mand,  unworthy  of  the  post  I  hold,  unworthy  of  the 
obedience  of  the  men  whose  lives  are  in  my  hands,  if 
I  listened  to  you !  Frankly,  I  could  not  hold  up  my 
head  if  I  did  this.  And  that  is  not  all,"  he  con 
tinued  in  a  firmer  tone.  "I  have  news,  by  express 
this  moment.  Wemyss's  force  has  been  repulsed, 
badly  repulsed  near  Fishdam.  He  is  wounded  and 
a  prisoner.  The  account  that  we  have  is  confused, 

189 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

but  it  is  certain  that  the  enemy  knew  that  the  at 
tack  was  coming  and  awaited  it  a  gunshot  behind 
their  campfires;  so  that  when  our  poor  lads  ran  hi 
they  came  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  woods.  I 
have  not  a  doubt,  therefore,  that  this  man,  Wilmer, 
had  a  confederate  in  the  camp,  and  short  as  his  tune 
was,  contrived  to  pass  on  tidings  of  the  change  of 
date." 

It  was  a  home  blow  and  I  reeled  under  it.  I  had 
had  little  hope  before;  I  had  none  now.  Still  I 
had  made  up  my  mind  as  to  my  duty,  and  I  strove 
afresh  to  move  him.  He  listened  for  a  moment. 
Then  he  cut  me  short. 

"No !"  he  replied,  more  curtly,  "No !  you  have  no 
case.  The  punishment  of  a  spy  is  known,  fixed, 
unalterable,  Craven.  It  was  carried  out  in  the  case 
of  Major  Andre,  a  hard,  an  extreme  case.  But  it  was 
carried  out.  This  is  a  flagrant  case.  You  ask  an 
impossibility,  man,  and  you  ought  to  know  it!" 

"Then  I  will  trouble  your  lordship  for  one  mo 
ment  only, "  I  said.  "  I  have  a  duty  to  the  King  — 
I  have  discharged  it  by  informing  against  Captain 
Wilmer;  I  have  discharged  it  at  great  cost  to  myself. 
But  I  have  a  duty,  also,  to  the  man  who  saved  my 
life  at  the  price,  as  it  has  turned  out,  of  his  own! 
That  duty  I  have  not  discharged  until  I  have  done 
all  that  it  is  in  my  power  to  do  to  save  him.  May 

190 


I  remind  your  lordship  that  my  father  has  sup 
ported  the  government  steadily  and  consistently  in 
the  House  with  two  votes,  and  has  never  sought 
a  return  in  place  or  pension.  Were  he  here,  I  will 
answer  for  it,  that  he  would  not  only  indorse  the 
request  I  make  that  this  man's  life  be  spared,  but 
that  he  would  consider  its  allowance  a  full  return 
for  all  his  services  in  the  past." 

"And,  by  God!"  Rawdon  replied,  striking  the 
table  with  his  hand,  "  I  would  not  grant  that  re 
quest,  no,  not  if  Lord  North  himself  endorsed  it, 
Major  Craven.  In  his  Excellency's  absence  I  com 
mand  here,  mine  is  the  responsibility!  I  will  not 
make  that  responsibility  immeasurably  more  heavy, 
sir,  by  stooping  to  a  weakness  which  must  rob  me, 
and  rightly  rob  me,  of  the  confidence  of  every  soldier 
in  the  camp.  I  should  deserve  to  be  shot,  if  I  did 
so!  There,  I  have  been  patient,  Craven  —  I  have 
been  patient  because  I  know  your  position.  I  have 
given  you  a  good  hearing,  but  I  can  hear  no  more. 
The  thing  you  ask  is  impossible.  The  man  must 
suffer." 

"Then,  my  lord,"  I  replied,  "I  am  compelled  to 
take  the  only  other  step  open  to  me.  Since  neither 
my  own  services  nor  my  father's  are  thought  to  be 
sufficient  to  entitle  me  to  a  thing  which  I  have  so 
much  at  heart,  I  beg  leave  to  resign  his  Majesty's 

191 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

commission.  Here  is  my  sword,  my  lord,  and  I  no 
longer  consider  myself  —  " 

"Stop!"  he  replied.  "This  is  nonsense.  D — d 
nonsense!"  he  continued  angrily,  "I'll  not  allow 
you  to  resign.  Take  up  your  sword,  Major  Craven, 
or  by  G — d,  I'll  put  you  under  arrest !" 

"You  can  do  that,  my  lord, "  I  said,  "if  you  please. 
I,  for  my  part  believe  that  I  am  only  doing  what 
honor  requires  of  me. "  And  I  turned  on  my  heel, 
and,  though  he  called  me  back,  I  went  straight  out 
of  the  room  leaving  my  sword  on  the  table.  I 
believe  the  act  was  irregular,  but  it  was  the  only 
way  in  which  I  could  bear  witness  to  the  strength  of 
my  feelings. 

I  had  taken  in  doing  this  what  many  would  con 
sider  a  foolish  step;  but  I  knew,  too,  that  nothing 
short  of  this  would  acquit  me  in  my  own  mind; 
and  as  I  left  the  house  I  was  at  no  pains  to  defend 
the  step  to  myself.  Haldane  and  the  others,  who 
were  sitting  under  the  trees  before  the  door,  looked 
at  me  as  I  came  out,  but  taking  the  hint  from  my 
face,  they  let  me  pass  without  speech.  Haldane 
went  in  immediately,  and  thinking  that  he  might  be 
ordered  to  carry  out  the  Chief's  threat,  I  moved 
away  down  the  street.  Not  that  I  cared  whether  I 
were  placed  under  arrest  or  no;  I  was  indifferent. 
But  to  remain  before  the  house  might  be  taken  for 

192 


THE     WOMAN'S    PART 

a  flouting  of  authority  not  in  the  best"  taste  and 
beyond  what  I  intended. 

I  had  tried  all  that  I  could,  and  I  had  failed. 
There  remained  only  one  thing  which  I  could  do 
for  Wilmer.  I  must  see  him.  He  might  have 
something  to  say,  some  message  to  leave,  some 
service  I  could  perform  at  the  last.  I  looked  along 
the  village  street  with  its  thronged  roadway  and  its 
neat  white  houses  peeping  through  foliage  that 
blew  to  and  fro  tempestuously.  The  dust  flew, 
and  the  flag  above  Headquarters  leapt  against  its 
staff,  for  the  morning  though  it  was  not  cold  was 
windy  and  overcast.  As  I  looked  down  the  road 
my  eyes  stopped  at  the  tavern  where  Webster  had 
his  billet.  It  was  nearly  —  not  quite  —  opposite 
the  house  in  which  I  knew  that  Wilmer  was  confined; 
and  as  I  gazed,  thinking  somberly  of  the  man  whose 
fate  had  become  bound  up  with  mine,  and  whose  last 
hours  were  passing  so  quickly,  I  saw  a  negro,  bear 
ing  something  covered  with  a  cloth,  go  across  the 
road  from  the  tavern  to  the  house.  I  guessed  that 
he  was  taking  Wilmer's  meal  to  him  and  I  turned 
the  other  way.  A  later  hour  would  suit  my  purpose 
better.  We,  English,  whatever  our  faults  may  be, 
bear  little  rancor,  and  I  had  no  doubt  that  even  if 
I  were  put  under  arrest,  I  should  be  allowed  to  see 
the  prisoner. 

193 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

I  passed  idly  along  the  street  in  the  direction  of 
Paton's  quarters.  On  either  hand  were  loungers 
perched  on  the  garden  fences  or  leaning  against  them. 
The  roadway  was  crowded  with  forage  wagons  driven 
by  negro  teamsters,  with  carts  from  the  country 
laden  with  fruit  and  vegetables,  with  fatigue-parties 
passing  at  the  double.  Troopers  rode  by  me  in  the 
green  of  the  Legion  or  the  blue  of  the  Dragoons 
and  everywhere  were  watchful  natives  and  grinning 
blacks  and  women  in  sun-bonnets  whose  eyes  little 
escaped.  But  my  thoughts  were  elsewhere  and  my 
eyes  roved  over  the  scene  and  saw  nothing,  until 
my  feet  had  borne  me  a  good  part  of  the  way  to 
Paton's. 

Then  I  saw  her. 

She  and  a  negro  were  standing  beside  two  horses 
from  which  they  had  just  dismounted.  A  little 
circle  of  loiterers  and  busybodies  had  gathered  round 
them  and  were  eyeing  them  curiously  and  question 
ing  them.  The  horses,  jaded  and  over-ridden,  hung 
their  heads,  and  blew  out  their  nostrils.  The  black, 
scared  by  his  surroundings,  glanced  fearfully  hither 
and  thither  —  it  was  clear  that  he  felt  himself  to  be 
in  the  enemy's  camp.  But  Constantia  showed  no 
sign  of  fear,  or  of  anything  but  fatigue.  Her  eyes 
travelled  gravely  round  the  circle,  questioned,  chal 
lenged,  met  admiration  with  pride.  And  yet  —  and 

194 


yet,  along  with  the  grief  and  despair  that  reigned 
in  her  breast  —  that  must  have  reigned  there!  — 
there  must  have  lurked,  also,  some  seed  of  woman's 
weakness;  for  as  her  eyes,  in  leaping  a  gap  in  the 
circle,  met  mine  and  held  them  —  and  held  them,  so 
that  for  a  moment  I  ceased  to  breathe  —  I  felt  her 
whole  soul  travel  to  me  in  appeal. 

One  thing  was  clear  to  me  at  once:  that  as  yet 
she  did  not  know  the  part  I  had  played.  For  had 
she  known  it,  her  eyes  instead  of  meeting  mine  would 
have  shunned  me,  as  if  I  had  been  the  plague.' 

And  that  gave  me  courage.  Heedless  for  the 
moment  of  what  might  ensue,  or  of  what  she  must 
eventually  learn,  I  pushed  my  way  through  the  men, 
I  uncovered,  I  reached  her  side.  Then,  on  a  nearer 
view,  I  saw  the  change  that  sorrow  and  fatigue  had 
wrought  in  her.  She  was  white  as  paper,  and 
against  the  white  her  hair  hung  in  black  clinging 
masses  on  her  cheeks.  Her  eyes  shone  out  of  dark 
circles,  and  her  homespun  habit  was  splashed  with 
the  mud  of  many  leagues.  With  all  this,  I  was  able 
to  address  her,  encouraged  by  her  look,  as  simply  as 
if  I  had  parted  from  her  an  hour  before  —  as  if  I 
had  expected  her  and  knew  her  plans.  "  My  quarters 
are  near  here,"  I  said.  "I  will  take  you  to  them," 
I  added.  That  was  all. 

"Tell  him,"  she  answered,  with  a  glance  at  her 
195 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

attendant.    She  spoke  as  if,  with  all  her  courage, 
she  had  hardly  strength  to  utter  the  words. 

I  did  so,  and  the  idlers  about  us,  noting  my  rank, 
fell  back.  The  crowd  broke  up.  Tom  —  it  was  he 
—  led  the  horses  on.  We  followed,  both  silent. 
Forty  yards  brought  us  to  the  door  of  Paton's 
house. 

When  we  were  inside,  "Will  you  give  me  some 
wine?"  she  said. 

I  looked  for  the  wine  and  as  I  did  so,  I  was  aware 
of  Paton  escaping  from  the  room  with  a  face  of 
dismay.  He  recognized  her,  of  course,  but  I  had 
other  things  to  do  than  to  think  of  him.  I  found 
some  Madeira  and  filled  a  large  glass  and  gave  it  to 
her.  She  took  a  piece  of  bread  from  her  pocket  and 
ate  a  mouthful  or  two  with  the  wine,  sitting  the 
while  on  a  box  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  vacancy 

I  have  written  down  all  that  she  said;  and  for 
my  part  I  stood  beside  her,  not  venturing  a  word. 
The  knowledge  that  she  must  presently  learn  all, 
and  in  particular  must  learn  that  it  was  I  who  had 
done  this,  I  who  had  put  the  halter  round  her 
father's  neck,  paralyzed  my  tongue.  When  she 
should  have  learned  all,  I  could  serve  her  no  longer, 
I  could  do  no  more  for  her.  It  was  not  for  me  that 
her  eyes  would  then  seek,  nor  from  my  hand  that 
she  would  take  wine. 

196 


THE     WOMAN'S    PART 

She  set  down  the  glass.  "You  will  take  me  to 
Lord  Rawdon,"  she  said. 

I  don't  know  whether  I  had  foreseen  this;  but  at 
any  rate  I  took  it  as  a  matter  of  course  and  made  no 
demur.  I  suppose  Paton  heard  her  also,  wherever 
he  was,  for  immediately  I  found  him  at  my  elbow. 
"I'll  go  on,"  he  muttered  in  my  ear.  "I'll  arrange 
it.  But  it's  the  devil,  it's  the  very  devil !" 

He  did  not  explain  himself,  but  I  knew  that  he 
meant  it  was  hard,  cruelly  hard  on  us !  As  for  her, 
she  seemed  to  be  unconscious  of  his  presence. 

When  he  had  had  five  minutes  start  we  set  out. 
Already  it  had  gone  abroad  who  my  companion  was, 
as  such  things  will  spread  in  a  camp,  and  a  curious 
crowd  stood  waiting  before  the  door;  a  crowd  that 
in  the  circumstances  —  for  Wemyss's  check  was  no 
longer  a  secret  —  could  not  but  be  hostile  to  Wilmer. 
But  when  she  appeared,  looking  so  proud  and  pale 
and  composed  —  not  even  the  wine  had  brought  the 
faintest  color  to  her  cheeks  —  it  was  to  the  credit 
of  our  people  that  there  was  not  a  man  who  did  not 
stand  to  attention  and  salute.  Not  a  gibe  or  a 
taunt  was  heard,  and  I  believe  that  the  looks  that 
followed  us  as  we  proceeded  along  the  street,  were 
laden  with  a  rough  but  understanding  pity. 

Halfway  she  spoke  to  me,  looking  not  at  me  but 
steadily  to  the  front.  "At  what  hour,"  she  asked 

197 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

with' a  shiver  which  she  could  not  restrain,  "is  it 
to  be?" 

"Four  o'clock,"  I  replied. 

"And  it  is  now?" 

"Ten." 

A  moment  later,  "I  must  see  my  lord  alone," 
she  said. 

"Yes,  I  understand,"  I  replied,  and  so  occupied 
with  the  matter  was  I  that,  a  moment  later,  uncon 
scious  of  what  I  was  doing,  I  met  with  a  stony  stare 
the  astonished  gaze  of  the  Brigadier,  who  was  riding 
by  and  drew  to  the  side  of  the  road  as  if  he  made 
way  for  a  procession.  "I  will  try  to  arrange  it," 
I  continued  with  dry  lips.  "I  have  seen  Lord 
Rawdon  this  morning.  It  was  useless."  Then, 
"You  mustn't  hope, "  I  muttered.  " Don't ! " 

She  did  not  answer. 

Outside  Headquarters  officers  were  loitering  in 
a  greater  number  than  usual,  drawn  thither  by  the 
news  of  Wemyss's  defeat.  I  suppose  that  Paton 
had  passed  the  word  to  them,  as  he  went  by,  for 
those  who  were  seated  rose  as  we  passed  between 
them.  Paton  himself  stood  inside  the  door,  talking 
urgently  to  Haldane  whom  he  had  taken  by  the  but 
ton,  and  who  reflected  to  perfection  his  face  of  dis 
may. 

"This  lady  is  Captain  Wilmer's  daughter,"  I 
198 


said,  as  we  came  up  to  them.    "She  desires  to  see 
Lord  Rawdon." 

Haldane  seemed  to  have  a  difficulty  in  speaking. 
When  he  did,  "His  lordship  will  see  her,"  he  said, 
looking  not  at  her  but  at  me.  "He  considers  it  to 
be  his  duty  to  do  so,  if  the  lady  desires  it.  But  I 
am  ordered  to  say  that  she  must  draw  no  hope  from 
the  fact,  Major  Craven.  I  am  instructed  to  impress 
upon  her  that  an  interview  can  do  no  good.  If 
after  that  she  still  desires  to  see  his  lordship  — " 

Constantia  bowed  her  head. 

"You  understand,  Madam?"  Haldane  persisted. 
"You  still  desire  it  —  hi  face  of  what  I  have 
said?" 

She  bent  her  head  again.  He  turned  on  his  heel, 
opened  the  door  behind  him  and  signed  to  her  to 
enter  the  room.  Then  he  closed  the  door  upon  her. 
By  common  consent  we  moved  away  and  went 
outside.  "Poor  beggar!"  Haldane  muttered.  "I 
wouldn't  be  in  his  shoes  at  this  moment  for  all  his 
pay  and  appointments.  Hanged  if  I  would!" 
Then,  "Curse  the  war,  I  say!" 

"I  say  the  same!"  Paton  replied,  and  twitching 
the  other's  sleeve  he  drew  him  aside.  They  en 
countered  and  turned  back  some  men  who  were 
moving  towards  us  —  I  have  no  doubt^to  learn 
what  was  on  foot. 

199 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

I  took  my  seat  on  the  most  remote  bench  on  the 
left  of  the  door,  and  apart  from  the  crowd;  and  I 
waited.  How  long?  I  cannot  say.  I  had  no  hope 
that  the  girl  would  succeed ;  I  was  in  no  suspense  on 
that  account.  All  my  anxiety  centered  in  another 
matter.  When  she  came  out  she  would  have  heard 
all  from  Rawdon.  She  would  have  learned  the 
truth  and  my  part  in  the  story.  Between  them  the 
facts  must  come  out;  they  could  not  be  hid.  And 
then  she  would  stand  alone,  quite  alone  in  this  strange 
camp,  with  four  o'clock  before  her.  How  would 
she  survive  it?  What  would  become  of  her?  The 
sweat  stood  on  my  brow.  I  waited  —  waited,  know 
ing  that  that  must  be  the  end  of  it. 

I  felt  that  I  should  be  aware  of  her  knowledge 
as  soon  as  I  saw  her.  She  would  feel  by  instinct 
where  I  had  placed  myself,  and  she  would  turn  the 
other  way.  Or  perhaps  she  would  look  at  me  once, 
and  the  horror  in  her  eyes  would  wither  me.  So  far 
there  had  been  a  strange  mingling  of  sweet  and  bitter 
in  the  confidence  which  she  had  placed  in  me,  in  the 
way  in  which  she  had  turned  to  me,  trusted  me, 
leant  on  me.  But  when  she  came  out,  knowing  all, 
there  would  be  an  end  of  that. 

Unheeding,  I  watched  the  traffic  of  the  camp  pass 
before  me.  I  saw  Carroll  go  by,  and  the  officer  who 
had  presided  at  the  court-martial.  Then  Tom,  the 

200 


THE    WOMAN'S    PART 

negro,  passed,  chattering  in  the  company  of  two 
other  blacks,  one  of  them  a  teamster.  Apparently 
he  had  plucked  up  courage  and  had  found  com 
panions.  They  went  towards  the  tavern.  Next 
the  Provost-Marshal  appeared;  he  came  towards  us, 
but  was  waylaid  by  Haldane  and  Paton  who  entered 
into  a  heated  argument  with  him  —  not  far  from  me 
but  just  out  of  earshot.  He  seemed  hard  to  persuade 
about  something;  he  glanced  my  way,  argued, 
hesitated.  Finally  he  yielded  and  turned  away, 
flinging  a  sharp  sentence  over  his  shoulder.  Paton 
replied,  there  was  a  distant  rejoinder.  The  Marshal 
disappeared  down  the  road,  shrugging  his  shoulders, 
as  if  he  disclaimed  —  something. 

A  man  near  me  laughed.  Another  said  that  Paton 
would  get  on. 

The  latter  made  an  angry  answer,  looking  at  me. 
I  did  not  understand.  I  was  waiting.  Would  she 
never  come?  Was  it  possible  that  he  was  listening 
to  her?  That  he  would  — 

Here  was  the  Provost-Marshal  returning  anew. 
Apparently  he  had  thought  better  of  it,  for  his  face 
was  hard  with  purpose.  But  again  Haldane  and 
Paton  met  him.  They  assailed  him,  argued  with 
him,  almost  buffeted  him;  finally  they  took  him  by 
the  arms,  turned  him  about,  and  marched  him  off. 
A  ripple  of  laughter  ran  along  the  benches.  "As 

201 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

good  as  a  play !"  some  one  said.  I  did  not  under 
stand.  Surely  she  must  come  soon. 

Yes,  she  was  coming  at  last.  I  caught  the  tinkle 
of  a  hand-bell,  the  sentry  stood  at  attention,  Hal- 
dane  hurried  into  the  house.  I  rose. 

She  came  out  and,  thank  God,  she  did  not  know. 
She  did  not  know,  for  her  eyes  sought  mine,  she 
turned  towards  me.  She  even  gave  me  a  pitiful 
shadow  of  a  smile,  as  if,  after  wading  through  deep 
waters,  she  saw  land  ahead.  I  went  to  her.  The 
men  about  us  rose  and  remained  standing  as  we 
walked  away  together.  She  turned  in  the  direc 
tion  of  my  quarters. 

I  did  not  dare  to  question  her  and  we  had  gone 
some  distance  before  she  broke  the  silence.  Then 
she  told  me,  still  looking  straight  before  her  and 
speaking  with  the  same  unnatural  calm,  that  Lord 
Rawdon  had  respited  the  sentence  for  twenty-four 
hours  to  enable  her  to  carry  an  appeal  to  Lord  Corn- 
wallis.  But  that  he  had  not  given  her  the  smallest 
hope  that  the  sentence  would  be  altered.  He  had 
impressed  this  upon  her  almost  harshly. 

"But  His  Excellency  is  at  Charles  Town!"  I 
protested,  dumbfounded  by  this  suggestion  of  the 
impossible.  "You  cannot  go  to  Charles  Town,  and 
return  in  twenty-four  hours !" 

"He  is  at  the  Santee  High  Hills,"  she  answered. 
202 


THE    WOMAN'S    PART 

Her  tone  implied  that  she  had  known  this  and  had 
not  learned  it  from  Lord  Rawdon.  Then  in  a  dry 
hard  voice  she  explained  that  she  was  to  be  allowed 
to  see  her  father  at  three  o'clock.  She  would  start 
an  hour  later. 

"For  the  High  Hills?" 

"Yes." 

"But  you  will  die  of  fatigue,"  I  cried.  "If  you 
are  to  do  this  you  must  rest  and  eat. "  I  knew  that 
she  had  ridden  sixty  miles  in  the  last  thirty-six 
hours  and  had  done  it  under  the  stress  of  intense 
emotion. 

She  assented,  saying  meekly  that  she  would  do  as 
I  thought  best.  Then,  as  we  entered,  "You  will 
come  with  me  ?  "  she  said.  And  with  that  she  turned 
to  me,  and  looked  at  me  with  something  of  the  old 
challenge  in  her  eyes,  looked  as  one  not  asking  a 
favor,  so  much  as  demanding  a  right.  Or,  if  the 
look  did  not  mean  that  I  was  unable  to  say  what  it 
meant,  beyond  this,  that  it  gave  me  a  sort  of  shock. 
It  was  as  if  she  had  shown  a  different  face  for  a 
moment.  Had  she  known  the  truth,  then  she  might 
have  looked  at  me  in  such  a  fashion.  But  in  that 
case  she  would  not  have  asked  me  to  go  with  her,  I 
was  sure  of  that. 

Still  the  look  was  disturbing,  ^and  I  hesitated. 
I  reflected  that  her  father  would  tell  her  the  truth; 

203 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

that  before  four  o'clock  she  would  learn  all.  In 
the  meantime,  however,  I  could  be  of  use  to  her,  I 
could  save  her  from  some  trials.  And  so  "  Certainly 
I  will  go,"  I  said,  "if  you  wish  it.  If  you  still  wish 
it,  when  the  time  comes. " 

"Thank  you,"  she  answered  wearily.  "I  do  wish 
it  —  and  you  owe  us  as  much  as  that. " 

"I  owe  you — " 

She  stopped  me,  raising  her  hand.  "I  cannot 
take  Tom,"  she  continued,  "for  reasons.  And  the 
horses?  Will  you  arrange  about  them?  I  am  —  I 
am  very  tired."  She  turned  her  back  on  me,  and 
with  a  weary  sigh  she  sat  down. 

I  told  her  that  I  would  do  everything  and  see  to 
everything,  and  I  hastened  away  to  find  the  woman 
on  whom  we  were  quartered.  I  had  a  meal  prepared, 
and  Paton's  room  made  ready,  and  water  brought 
and  brushes  and  soap.  To  do  this,  to  do  anything 
relieved  my  pent-up  feelings,  yet  while  I  went  about 
the  task,  the  look  that  she  had  given  me,  when  she 
had  asked  me  to  go  with  her,  haunted  me.  What 
did  it  mean?  It  had  impressed  itself  unpleasantly 
upon  me  as  at  variance  with  the  rest  of  her  conduct, 
with  her  confidence,  her  docility,  her  dependence  on 
me.  For  in  other  matters  she  had  turned  to  me  as  a 
helpless  child  might  turn;  and  though  her  acts 
proved  that  she  had  a  course  of  action  marked  out, 

204 


THE     WOMAN'S    PART 

and  was  following  that  course,  her  manner  would 
have  appealed  to  a  heart  of  stone. 

Presently  I  was  aware  of  Paton  looking  in  to  the 
room  with  the  same  scared  face.  He  beckoned  me 
to  him.  "You  will  want  horses,  won't  you?"  he 
whispered. 

"Yes,"  I  said. 

"How  many?" 

"  Two, "  I  said.     "  Good  ones. " 

"I'll  arrange  it,"  he  answered.  "Leave  it  to  me 
and  stay  where  you  are.  At  what  time?" 

"Four,"  I  said. 

He  went  away.  The  next  to  appear  was  Tom,  who 
talked  with  his  mistress  for  some  minutes  while  I 
was  above  stairs,  making  ready  for  the  journey. 
Presently  he  departed.  By  that  time  the  hasty 
meal  I  had  ordered  was  laid  and  I  induced  her  to  sit 
down  to  it,  while  I  waited  on  her.  Need  I  say  that 
then,  more  than  ever,  the  strangeness  of  the  relations 
between  us  came  home  to  me?  That  she  should  be 
here,  in  my  room,  in  my  care,  eating  an  ordinary  meal 
while  I  attended  on  her,  handed  her  this  or  that,  and 
caught  now  and  again  the  sad  smile  with  which  she 
thanked  me  —  could  anything  exceed  the  marvel 
of  it?  Her  trust  in  me,  the  intimacy  of  it,  the 
silence  —  for  she  rarely  spoke  —  all  increased  the  air 
of  unreality;  an  unreality  so  great  that  when  the 

205 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

meal  was  finished  and  she  went  to  Paton's  room  to 
lie  down  and  rest,  it  had  scarcely  seemed  out  of 
the  question  had  I  gone  in  with  her,  covered  her, 
and  tucked  her  up ! 

After  that,  through  three  hours  of  stillness  and 
silence  I  kept  guard  in  the  outer  room,  staring  at  the 
door  behind  which  she  lay;  and  love  and  pity  choked 
me,  and  swelled  my  heart  to  bursting.  How  was 
she  suffering!  How  was  she  doomed  to  suffer! 
What  a  night  and  a  day  were  before  her!  What 
horror,  what  despair!  For  her  father  was  all  the 
world  to  her.  He  was  all  that  she  had.  I  could 
only  pray  that  the  exertions  she  was  making,  the 
fatigue  that  she  was  enduring,  the  pains  of  endless 
journeys  would  dull  the  shock  when  it  came,  and 
that  she  would  not  be  able  to  feel  or  to  suffer  or  to 
hate  as  at  other  times. 

I  believe  that  during  these  hours  Paton  kept 
guard  outside,  and  warned  off  the  curious.  For  no 
one  came  near  us,  and  all  the  sounds  of  the  camp 
seemed  dull  and  distant  and  we  two  alone  in  the 
world,  until  a  little  before  three  o'clock.  Then 
Tom  returned.  I  had  made  a  note  that  he  must  be 
kept  at  hand,  since  she  would  need  him  to  go  with 
her  in  my  place  when  she  knew  all  —  as  she  must 
know  all  after  she  had  seen  her  father. 

I  cautioned  him  as  to  this,  but  the  man  demurred. 
206 


THE    WOMAN'S    PART 

"Marse,  I'm  feared  ter  do  it,"  he  said,  showing  the 
whites  of  his  eyes  in  his  earnestness.  ""Madam 
'Stantia,  she  ordered  me  ter  stay  yer.  En  I'm 
tired,  Marse.  I'm  en  ole  nigger  en  dis  jurney's 
shuk  me.  Fer  sho'  it  has. " 

"But  you  rogue,  your  mistress!" 

"I  'bliged  ter  stay,  Marse,"  he  repeated  doggedly. 
"Dis  nigger's  mighty  tired." 

I  should  have  insisted,  but  the  girl  had  heard  his 
voice  and  summoned  him.  She  opened  her  door 
and  he  went  into  the  inner  room.  They  talked  there 
for  some  minutes,  while  I  fretted  over  this  new  diffi 
culty.  Presently  the  black  came  out  but  she  still 
remained  within,  and  did  not  follow  him  for  five  long 
minutes.  When  she  came  I  saw  a  change  in  her. 
Her  eyes  were  bright,  and  each  white  cheek  had  its 
scarlet  patch.  She  looked  like  a  person  in  a  fever, 
or  on  the  edge  of  delirium.  What  the  wine  had  not 
done,  something  else  had  effected. 

"Tom  had  better  be  ready  to  ride  with  us,"  I  said. 

"No,"  she  answered.  "It  will  not  be  necessary. 
I  wish  him  to  stay  here. " 

She  spoke  with  so  much  decision  that  I  could  not 
contest  the  point,  and  we  set  off  towards  Wilmer's 
prison.  All  that  I  remember  of  our  progress  is  that 
once  we  had  to  stand  aside  while  a  wing  of  the  23rd 
marched  by;  and  that  once  we  ran  into  a  knot  of 

207 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

blacks  in  front  of  the  store.  They  were  drunk  and  to 
my  amazement  refused  to  make  way  for  us.  My 
one  arm  did  not  avail  much,  but  a  couple  of  sergeants 
who  were  passing  on  the  other  side  of  the  way 
crossed  over  and  laying  their  canes  about  the  rogues' 
shoulders,  sent  them  flying  down  the  road.  I 
thanked  the  two,  they  saluted  the  lady,  and  we  went 
on. 

That  is  all  that  I  remember  of  our  seven  or  eight 
minutes  walk.  My  mind  was  bent  on  the  old 
question  —  what  she  would  do  when  she  learned  my 
part  in  the  matter.  Would  she  take  Tom  —  doubt 
less  with  a  little  delay  we  could  find  him?  Or  would 
she  travel  alone,  riding  the  thirty-five  miles,  many 
of  them  after  night-fall,  unaccompanied?  Or  —  or 
what  would  she  do  ?  Then,  and  all  the  long  minutes 
during  which  she  was  with  her  father  in  the  house 
opposite  the  tavern  —  where  a  sentry  at  the  front 
and  back  declared  the  importance  of  the  prisoner  — 
I  turned  this  question  over  and  over  and  inside  and 
out.  Webster's  quarters  were  at  the  tavern,  a  long 
low  straggling  building,  set  on  a  corner,  with  two 
fronts;  and  I  might  have  entered  and  waited  there. 
But  nothing  was  farther  from  my  mind.  The 
thought  of  company,  of  the  camp  chatter,  was  abom 
inable  to  me;  and  I  paced  up  and  down  in  a  solitude 
which  a  glance  at  my  face  was  enough  to  preserve. 

208 


THE     WOMAN'S    PART 

She  came  out  at  last  when  my  back  was  turned, 
and  she  reached  my  elbow  unseen.  "I  am  late," 
she  said.  "We  should  be  on  horseback  by  this 
time,  Major  Craven.  Let  us  lose  no  time,  if  you 
please." 

Surprised,  I  muttered  assent,  and  I  stole  a  look  at 
her.  Her  eyes  were  bright,  but  with  excitement 
not  with  tears.  The  patches  of  scarlet  on  her  cheeks 
were  more  marked.  I  had  expected  to  see  her 
broken  and  pale  with  weeping;  instead  she  was 
tense,  borne  up  by  the  fever  of  some  secret  hope, 
more  beautiful  than  I  had  ever  seen  her,  more  alive, 
more  alert. 

As  for  me  I  was  now  convinced  that  she  knew  all. 
Nay,  enlightened  at  last,  I  saw  that  she  must  have 
known  all  from  the, start.  Had  she  not  foreseen 
that  my  coming  boded  ill?  Had  she  not  done  all 
in  her  power  to  keep  me  at  the  Bluff?  Had  she 
not  on  that  last  evening  strained  all  to  detain  me? 
Yes,  she  had  known;  and  only  my  obtuseness,  only 
the  astonishing  way  in  which  she  had  placed  her 
self  in  my  hands  and  made  use  of  me,  had  blinded 
me  to  the  truth. 

And  plainly,  she  was  content  to  go  with  me  and  to 
use  me  still.  I  might  fancy  if  I  chose,  that  she  for 
gave  me,  but  I  did  not  dare  to  think  so.  There 
was  a  hardness  in  her  eyes,  a  challenge  in  her  voice, 

209 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

a  reserve  in  her  bearing  as  she  walked  beside  me, 
silent  and  proud,  that  I  misdoubted.  And  how  could 
she  forgive  me?  To  her  I  was  her  father's  murderer, 
a  monster  of  ingratitude,  a  portent  of  falseness.  She 
could  not  forgive.  Enough  that  she  did  not  flinch 
from  me,  that  she  was  ready  to  bear  with  me,  that 
she  was  willing  to  use  me  a  little  longer. 

We  found  the  horses  standing  before  the  door  at 
Paton's  quarters,  and  Tom  with  them.  She  bade  the 
black  farewell,  after  a  few  words  aside  with  him, 
and  ten  minutes  later  we  took  the  road  on  what  I,  for 
my  part,  knew  to  be  a  hopeless  mission.  Still  it 
would  serve,  for  it  would  help  to  pass  these  fatal 
hours;  and  afterwards  she  might  comfort  herself 
with  the  remembrance  that  she  had  done  all  in  her 
power,  that  she  had  spent  herself  without  stint  or 
mercy  in  her  father's  service. 

My  latest  impression  of  Winsboro',  as  I  looked 
back  before  I  settled  myself  in  the  saddle,  was  of 
Paton  engaged  in  a  last  desperate  argument  with 
the  Provost-Marshal.  Only  then  did  it  occur  to  me 
that  the  unfortunate  Marshal  had  had  orders  to 
place  me  under  arrest  and  had  been  all  day  held  at 
bay  by  my  friend's  good  offices. 


210 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  MAN'S  PART 

The  High  Hills  of  Santee  are  a  long  irregular  chain  of  Sand- 
hills  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wateree.  Though  directly  above  the 
noxious  river  the  air  on  them  is  healthy  and  the  water  pure,  mak 
ing  an  oasis  in  the  wide  tract  of  miasma  and  fever  in  which  the 
army  had  been  operating. 

LIFE  OF  GREENE. 

It  was  not  until  we  had  left  the  camp  a  considera 
ble  distance  behind  us,  and  were  clear  of  the  neigh 
boring  roads  with  their  stragglers  and  wagons  and 
forage-parties  that  a  word  was  spoken  between  us. 
Even  that  word  turned  only  on  the  condition  of  the 
horses,  the  bay  and  grey  that  Paton  had  borrowed 
from  the  lines  of  the  Fourteenth  Dragoons.  Let  it 
be  said  of  the  British  that,  whatever  their  faults, 
they  are  magnanimous.  The  life  of  an  enemy 
might  depend  —  though  I  did  not  think,  and  hardly 
hoped  that  it  would  depend  —  on  the  speed  of  our 
horses.  Yet  the  dragoons  had  lent  us  the  best  that 
they  had,  nor  did  I  doubt  that  when  the  officer  ap 
peared  on  parade  on  the  morrow,  he  would  turn  a 
blind  eye  on  the  gap  in  his  ranks.  It  was  I  who 
broke  the  silence. 

211 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"They  should  carry  us  to  the  High  Hills  in  six 
hours, "  I  said. 

The  girl  assented  by  a  single  word,  uttered  with  an 
indifference  which  surprised  me.  And  that  was  all. 

Her  silence  had  at  least  this  advantage,  that  it 
left  me  free  to  consider  her  more  closely,  and  I 
dropped  back  a  horse's  length  that  I  might  do  this 
at  my  ease.  As  my  eyes  rested  on  her,  I  do  not  know 
whether  my  admiration  or  my  wonder  were  the 
greater.  She  must  have  been  weary  to  the  bone  and 
sick  at  heart.  She  must  have  been  racked  by  sus 
pense  and  torn  by  anxiety.  Every  nerve  in  her 
tender  frame  must  have  ached  with  pain,  every 
pulse  throbbed  with  fever.  Probably,  and  almost 
certainly,  she  had  had  to  face  moments  when  hope 
failed  her,  and  she  saw  things  as  they  really  were; 
when  she  tasted  the  bitterness  of  the  coming  hour 
and  recognized  that  all  her  efforts  to  avert  it  were 
in  vain. 

Yet  every  line  of  her  figure,  the  carriage  of  her 
head,  the  forward  gaze  of  her  eyes  told  but  one  tale 
of  steadfast  purpose.  She  was  no  longer  a  mere 
woman,  subject  to  woman's  weakness;  but  a  daugh 
ter  fighting  for  her  father's  life.  She  was  love  in  ac 
tion,  moulded  to  its  purest  shape.  To  suffer  the  eye 
to  dwell  on  the  curling  lock  that  stained  the  white  of 
her  neck,  to  give  a  thought  to  the  long  lashes  that 

212 


THE    MAN'S    PART 

shaded  her  cheek,  to  eye  the  curve  of  her  chin,  or 
the  slender  fullness  of  her  figure,  seemed  to  be  at  this 
moment  a  sacrilege.  Her  sex  had  fallen  from  her, 
and  she  rode  as  safe  in  my  company  as  if  she  had 
been  a  man.  More,  I  reflected  that  if  there  were 
many  like  her  on  the  rebel  side  —  if  there  were  others 
who,  daughters  of  our  race,  grafted  on  its  virtues  the 
spirit  of  this  new  land,  then,  I  had  no  doubt  of  the 
issue  of  the  unhappy  contest  in  which  we  were  en 
gaged.  In  that  case  the  thirteen  colonies  were  as 
safe  from  us  and  as  certainly  lost  to  His  Majesty 
as  if  they  were  the  six  planets  and  the  seven 
Pleiades. 

Nor  in  anything,  I  reflected,  was  her  firmness 
more  plain  than  in  her  treatment  of  me.  She 
knew  what  I  had  done.  She  knew  that  she  owed 
her  misery  to  me.  She  must  hate  me  in  her  heart. 
And  doubtless  when  she  had  used  me  she  would 
cast  me  aside.  But  in  the  meantime  and  because 
my  help  was  needful  to  her  plans,  she  was  content 
to  use  me.  She  was  willing  to  speak  to  me,  to  ride 
beside  me,  to  breathe  the  same  air  with  me,  she 
could  bear  the  sound  of  my  voice  and  the  touch  of 
my  hand.  She  could  constrain  herself  to  stoop  even 
to  this,  if  by  any  means  she  might  save  the  father 
she  loved  and  whom  I  had  betrayed ! 

But  while  she  did  this,  she  was  as  cold  as  a  stone, 
213 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

she  made  no  pretence  of  friendship  or  of  amity; 
and  the  light  was  failing,  we  had  ridden  ten  miles, 
passing  now  a  picket-guard,  and  now  a  lonely 
vedette  on  a  hill-top,  and  many  a  sutler's  cart  on 
the  road,  before  she  spoke  again.  Then  as  we 
descended  a  gorge,  following  the  winding  of  a  moun 
tain  stream  that  brawled  below  us  amid  mosses  and 
alders,  and  under  fern-clad  banks,  she  asked  me  if 
we  should  reach  the  ferry  on  the  Wateree  by  eight. 

She  spoke  to  me  over  her  shoulder,  for  she  was 
riding, a  pace  in  front  of  me  and  I  had  made  no 
effort  to  place  myself  on  a  level  with  her.  "I  am 
afraid  not,"  I  said.  "If  we  reach  the  ferry  by  nine 
we  shall  be  fortunate.  Very  soon  it  will  be  dark  and 
we  must  go  more  slowly." 

"Then  let  us  push  on  while  we  can,"  she  replied. 
And  starting  her  horse  with  the  spur  she  cantered 
down  the  uneven  winding  track,  flinging  the  dirt 
and  stones  behind  her,  as  if  she  had  no  neck  and  I 
had  two  arms.  If  she  gave  a  thought  to  my  draw 
back  she  must  have  decided  that  it  was  no  time  to 
consider  it;  as  from  her  point  of  view  it  was  not. 
Fortunately  the  sky  was  still  pale  and  clear,  the 
light  had  not  quite  failed,  and  presently  without  mis 
hap  we  reached  more  level  ground.  Here  the  road, 
parting  from  the  stream,  wound  on  a  level  round  the 
flank  of  a  low  hill,  and  for  a  mile  or  two  we  made 

214 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

fair  progress.     It  was  only  when  the  darkness  closed 
,  in  on  us  at  last  that  we  drew  rein,  and  trusting  our 
horses'  instincts  rather  than  our  own  eyes  pushed 
forward,  now  at  a  trot  and  now  at  a  walk. 

"When  does  the  moon  rise?"  she  asked  presently. 

"At  eight,"  I  told  her. 

"The  ferry  boat  runs  all  night?" 

Now  I  had  not  thought  of  that.  It  was  a  much- 
used  ferry  situate  at  a  point  where  the  traffic  from 
Charlestown  separated,  a  part  of  the  traffic  using  the 
boat  and  crossing  to  the  higher  and  drier  road  on  the 
right  bank,  the  rest  pursuing  the  shorter  but  heavier 
way  through  Camden.  As  a  second  route  the  ferry 
road  was  of  value,  and  a  considerable  portion  of  our 
supplies  came  in  that  way.  I  knew  that  there  was 
a  half  company  of  the  33rd  posted  to  protect  the 
crossing,  but  I  remembered  that  the  ferry  house 
was  on  the  farther  or  eastern  bank.  Probably  the 
detachment  also  would  be  on  that  side. 

I  had  to  tell  her  this,  and  that  I  was  not  sure 
that  the  ferry  ran  at  night.  "I  hope,"  I  added, 
"that  we  shall  be  able  to  make  the  men  hear,  if  it 
does  not.  But  if  we  fail  we  may  be  detained." 

"All  night?"  she  asked  and  I  thought  that  I  read 
in  her  tone  not  only  anxiety  but  contempt  —  con 
tempt  of  my  ignorance  and  inefficiency.  "Do  you 
mean  that?" 

215 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

I  told  her  that  I  feared  that  we  might  be  detained 
until  day-break;  and  with  pity  I  wondered  how, 
fatigued  as  she  was,  she  would  be  able  to  endure  a 
night  in  the  open.  "Still,  it  is  not  more  than  two 
leagues,"  I  continued,  "  from  the  river  to  the  hills, 
and  when  we  are  across  the  stream  we  should  travel 
the  remainder  of  the  distance  in  an  hour." 

Her  only  answer  was  a  weary  sigh.  A  minute  later 
we  passed  from  the  darkness  of  the  night,  which 
has  always  a  certain  transparency,  into  the  black 
depths  of  a  pinewood.  In  an  instant  it  was  impos 
sible  to  see  a  yard  before  us.  The  carpet  of  leaves 
deadened  the  sound  of  the  horses'  hoofs,  the  air  was 
close,  and  great  moths  flew  into  our  faces.  I  pic 
tured  bats,  the  large  bats  of  Carolina,  swinging 
past  our  heads.  The  whip-poor-will  warned  us 
again  and  again  from  the  depth  of  the  forest.  Still 
for  a  time  the  horses  stepped  on  daintily,  feeling 
their  way  and  snorting  at  intervals.  At  last  the 
grey  stopped.  It  refused  to  proceed.  "We  must 
lead  the  horses, "  I  said. 

"I  will,"  she  cried  quickly.  "You  have  only  one 
arm."  And  before  I  could  remonstrate  I  heard  her 
slip  from  her  saddle. 

So  she  had  not  after  all  forgotten  my  arm. 

But  it  was  humiliating,  it  was  depressing  to  fol 
low  while  she  led.  And  the  way  seemed  to  be  end- 

216 


THE    MAN'S    PART 

less.  Once  I  heard  her  stumble.  She  uttered  a  low 
cry  and  the  grey  shied  away  from  her.  She  mas 
tered  it  again,  and  anew  she  went  forward,  though 
with  each  moment  I  expected  her  to  propose  that  we 
should  halt  until  the  moon  rose.  Still  she  persisted, 
bent  on  her  purpose,  and  after  a  long  stage  of  this 
strange  traveling  we  came  forth  into  the  light  again. 
She  climbed  into  the  saddle.  The  horses  flung  up 
their  heads  as  they  scented  the  freshness  and  per 
fume  of  the  night,  and  we  broke  into  a  trot.  I  rode 
up  beside  her.  It  was  then  or  a  little  later,  when 
we  had  slackened  our  speed  on  rising  ground  that 
she  began  to  talk  to  me. 

Not  freely,  but  with  constraint  and  an  under-note 
of  bitterness  which  her  story  explained.  At  dawn 
on  the  morning  after  my  departure  from  the  Bluff 
she  had  started  to  ride  to  Winnsboro'  to  warn  her 
father  of  his  danger.  Unfortunately,  when  she  and 
Tom  had  traveled  a  dozen  miles  they  had  fallen  hi 
with  a  band  of  straggling  Tories  —  one  of  Brown's 
bands  from  Ninety-six,  she  believed.  These  men, 
knowing  her  to  be  Wilmer's  daughter  and  having  a 
grudge  against  him  —  and  doing  no  worse  than  the 
other  side  did  —  had  forced  her  and  Tom  to  dis 
mount  and  had  taken  their  horses,  telling  them  that 
they  were  lucky  to  escape  with  no  other  ill-treat 
ment. 

217 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

Thus  stranded  on  the  way,  the  two  had  walked 
seven  miles  to  a  friendly  plantation,  only  to  learn 
that  there,  too,  the  horses  had  been  swept  off  by  the 
same  gang  of  Tories.  In  the  end  they  had  been 
forced  to  return  to  the  Bluff  on  foot.  Here  there 
were  horses  indeed,  but  they  were  out  on  the  hill 
and  perforce  she  rested  while  they  were  found  and 
brought  in.  Again  the  pair  set  out,  but  twenty- 
four  hours  had  been  lost,  and  ten  miles  short  of  the 
camp  she  learned  from  friends  that  she  was  too  late. 
A  man  whom  she  had  no  difficulty  in  conjecturing 
to  be  her  father  had  been  seized,  tried  and  sen 
tenced  on  the  previous  day. 

It  was  a  pitiful  story  of  effort,  of  strain,  of  failure, 
and  she  told  it  piece-meal,  with  long  intervals  of 
silence  as  her  feelings  or  the  condition  of  the  road 
dictated.  In  the  telling  we  covered  a  good  part  of 
the  journey,  now  riding  freely  over  hills  clothed 
with  low  brushwood,  where  myrtles  and  dogwood 
and  sweet  herbs,  crushed  by  the  passage  of  our 
horses,  filled  the  air  with  fragrance,  now  plodding 
through  the  gloom  of  oak-woods  where  the  notes  of 
the  mocking-bird  brought  the  English  nightingale  to 
mind;  and  now  —  this  more  often  at  the  last  —  cross 
ing  patches  of  low  country  where  masses  of  tall  cy 
press,  black  in  the  moonlight,  betrayed  the  presence 
of  swamps,  and  where  the  voices  of  a  thousand  frogs, 

218 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

challenging,  insistent,  unceasing,  bade  us  look  to 
our  going.  We  were  descending  quickly  from  the 
uplands  to  the  low  country  of  South  Carolina,  the 
home  of  the  rice-fields  and  of  fever;  and  except 
the  High  Hills  of  Santee,  scarcely  a  rising  ground  of 
any  size  now  stood  between  us  and  Charles  Town 
neck,  ninety  odd  miles  distant. 

If  she  could  not  tell  her  tale  without  agitation"! 
could  not  hear  it  without  pain,  and  pain  that  grew 
the  keener,  as  I  saw  that  in  the  telling  she  was 
working  herself  into  a  fiercer  mood.  Once  or  twice 
a  bitter  word  fell  from  her  and  betrayed  the  sore 
ness  she  felt;  and  these  complaints,  I  came  to 
think,  were  uttered  with  intention.  If  I  had  soothed 
myself  at  any  time  with  the  thought  that  she  did 
not  see  events  as  I  saw  them,  if  I  had  tried  to  believe 
that  she  accepted  my  help  willingly,  I  was  now  con 
vinced  that  I  might  dismiss  the  notion.  It  was  no 
fancy  of  mine  that  she  shrank  from  me. 

It  was  at  the  moment  when  she  had  let  fall  the 
most  cruel  of  these  gibes,  that  she  pulled  up  the 
gray  and  changed  the  subject,  asking  me  abruptly 
if  we  had  lately  passed  a  road  on  the  left. 

I  told  her  —  I  could  not  answer  her  with  spirit  — - 
that  I  had  not  observed  one. 

"What  time  is  it?"  was  her  next  question. 

It  was  nearly  nine,  I  answered. 
219 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"We  pass  through  a  village  before  we  reach  the 
ferry,  do  we  not?"  she  asked. 

"There  should  be  a  house  or  two  about  a  mile 
before  us,"  I  explained. 

After  that  she  rode  on  in  silence.  But  when  we 
had  traveled  another  half  mile  we  came  'to  a  post 
set  up  at  a  corner;  and  there  a  by-way  on  the  left 
did  run  into  our  road.  By  this  time  the  moon  was 
high  and  the  sign-post  stood  up  white  and  ghastly. 
"Here  is  the  turning,"  she  said,  reining  in  her  horse. 
"Do  you  know  this  road?" 

"Only  that  it  is  not  ours,"  I  answered  wondering 
what  she  had  in  her  mind. 

"I  am  not  sure  of  that,"  she  replied  abruptly. 
"There  is  an  old  ferry  half  a  mile  up  the  stream, 
and  I  am  told  that  this  road  leads  to  it.  Ten  years 
ago  the  present  ferry  crossed  there,  but  it  was  moved 
to  a  point  lower  down  to  shorten  the  road.  Now  do 
you  see?" 

"What?"    I  asked. 

"That  we  might  cross  the  river  there.  The  boat 
is  on  this  side,  I  believe.  Whereas  if  we  go  to  the 
new  ferry  and  can  make  no  one  hear,  we  shall  be 
detained  until  morning." 

I  was  considerably  taken  aback  both  by  her  knowl 
edge  of  the  district  and  by  a  proposal  so  unlocked 
for.  Moreover,  I  had  never  heard  of  a  second  ferry, 

220 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

though  there  might  be  one.  "I  think  if  we  are  wise 
we  shall  keep  to  the  high  road,"  I  said  prudently, 
"and  go  to  the  proper  ferry.  At  any  rate  we  ought 
to  go  as  far  as  the  hamlet.  We  can  learn  there  if 
the  ferry  be  working,  and  if  it  is  not  we  may  be  able 
to  secure  a  boat.  We  don't  know  the  old  cross 
ing-" 

"Are  you  afraid?"  she  asked. 

The  taunt  did  not  affect  me.  "No,"  I  said,  "but 
a  ferry  at  night,  if  it  is  seldom  worked,  and  the  man 
is  old  too,  —  well,  it  is  not  the  safest  of  ventures." 

"A  ferry  in  good  moonlight!"  she  cried  in  scorn. 
"Are  you  afraid,  sir?  When  the  risk  is  mine  and 
if  I  do  not  reach  the  High  Hills  in  time  it  will  not  be 
you  who  will  pay  the  penalty?" 

I  could  not  meet  that  argument,  nor  the  passion 
in  her  voice.  Yet  I  remember  that  I  hesitated.  The 
place  was  forbidding.  We  were  halfway  down  the 
slope  that  led  to  the  river,  and  below  us  stretched 
the  marshes  that  fringed  the  stream,  marshes  al 
ways  dreary  and  deceitful,  and  at  night  veiled  in 
poisonous  mists.  At  the  foot  of  the  sign-post,  which 
rose  pale  and  stark  against  a  background  of  pines, 
there  was  something  which  had  the  look  of  a  newly- 
dug  grave;  while  halfway  up  the  mast  a  wisp  of 
stuff,  the  relic,  perhaps,  of  a  flag  which  had  been 
nailed  up  and  torn  down,  fluttered  dismally  in  the 

221 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

wind.  I  looked  along  the  main  road  but  no  one 
was  stirring.  The  lights  of  the  hamlet  were  not  in 
sight. 

I  suspected  that,  quietly  as  she  sat  her  horse,  she 
was  in  suspense  until  I  answered,  and  I  gave  way. 
"Very  well,"  I  said  reluctantly.  "But  you  must 
not  blame  me  if  we  go  wrong.  God  knows  I  only 
want  to  do  the  best  for  you?" 

I  do  not  know  why  my  words  displeased  her,  but 
they  seemed  to  prick  her  in  some  tender  spot. 

"The  best?"  she  cried,  "and  you  boast  of  that? 
You!" 

"God  forbid,"  I  said,  breaking  in  on  her  speech. 
"If  there  were  more  I  could  do,  I  would  do  it  and 
gladly,  but  — " 

"Don't!  Don't!"  she  said,  pain  in  her  tone. 
And  she  turned  her  horse's  head  and  plodded  down 
the  side-road  in  silence.  I  followed. 

Still  I  was  uneasy.  The  night,  the  loneliness, 
the  scene,  all  chilled  me;  and  this  tardy  suggestion, 
this  change  of  plan  at  the  last  moment  had  an  odd 
look.  However  I  reflected  that  I  had  nothing  to 
lose;  the  loss  was  hers  if  we  were  not  in  time.  And 
though  a  one-armed  man  in  an  old  and  rotten 
ferry-boat  —  so  I  pictured  the  craft  we  were  to 
enter  —  is  not  very  happily  placed,  if  she  did  not 
see  this,  I  could  not  raise  the  point. 

222 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

My  perplexity  grew,  however,  when  twenty  min 
utes'  riding  failed  to  bring  us  to  the  river,  though  the 
road  had  by  this  time  sunk  to  the  marshes,  and  ran 
deep  and  foundrous,  lapped  on  either  side  by  sullen 
pools.  The  time  came  when  I  drew  rein  —  I  would 
go  no  farther;  the  air  was  laden  with  ague,  I  felt  it 
in  my  bones.  "I  don't  think  we  are  right,"  I  said. 

"You  would  do  so  much!"  she  cried  bitterly. 
"But  you  won't  do  this  for  me." 

"I  will  do  anything  that  will  be  of  service,  Miss 
Wilmer,"  I  said  firmly,  "but  to  waste  our  time  here 
will  not  be  of  serivce." 

"What  will?"  she  wailed.  "Will  anything?" 
Then,  stopping  me  as  I  was  about  to  answer,  "  There ! 
a  light!"  she  cried.  "Do  you  see?  There  is  a 
light  before  us !  We  can  inquire." 

She  was  right,  there  was  a  light.  Nay,  when  we 
had  advanced  a  few  yards  we  saw  that  there  were 
two  lights,  which  proceeded  from  the  windows  of 
some  building.  I  was  grateful  for  the  discovery, 
grateful  for  anything  that  put  an  end  to  the  con 
test  between  us;  and  "Thank  God!"  I  said  as 
cheerfully  as  I  could.  "Now  we  shall  learn  where 
we  are,  and  we  can  decide  what  to  do." 

"More,  there  is  the  river,"  she  added;  and  a 
moment  later  I,  too,  caught  the  gleam  of  moonlight 
on  a  wide  water,  that  flowed  on  the  farther  side,  as 

223 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

it  seemed  to  me,  of  the  spot  whence  the  lights 
issued. 

I  was  glad  to  see  it,  and  I  said  so.  I  could  discern 
the  building  now  —  a  gaunt,  dark  block  set  high 
against  the  sky;  a  mill  apparently,  for  a  skeleton 
frame  of  ribs  rose  against  one  end  of  it.  The  lights 
that  we  had  seen  issued  irom  two  windows  at  some 
distance  from  the  ground  and  not  far  apart.  As 
well  as  I  could  judge,  the  building  stood  between 
road  and  river  on  piles,  with  a  rood  or  so  of  made 
ground  to  landward,  and  a  few  wind-bent  cypresses 
fringing  the  river  bank  behind.  It  was  a  lonely 
house,  and  dark  and  forbidding  by  night;  but  by 
day  it  might  be  cheerful  enough. 

"I  will  inquire,"  I  said,  briskly  slipping  from  my 
saddle.  "You  had  better  wait  here^while  I  go,"  I 
added. 

I  was  in  the  act  of  leading  my  horse  towards  the 
door,  when  she  thrust  out  her  hand  and  seized  my 
rein.  "Stop!"  she  said.  And  then  for  a  moment 
she  did  not  speak. 

I  obeyed;  for  the  one  word  she  had  uttered  con 
veyed  to  me,  I  don't  know  how,  that  a  new  peril 
threatened  us.  "Why?"  I  muttered.  "What  is 
it?"  I  looked  about  us.  I  could  see  nothing 
alarming.  I  turned  to  her. 

She  sat  low  in  the  saddle,  her  head  sunk  on  her 
224 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

breast,  and  for  a  moment  I  fancied  that  she  was  ill. 
Then  in  a  low,  despairing  tone,  "I  cannot,"  she 
muttered,  speaking  rather  to  herself  than  to  me, 
"I  cannot  do  it." 

I  stared  at  her.  To  fail  now,  to  succumb  now  — 
she  who  had  borne  up  so  well,  gone  through  so 
much,  endured  so  bravely!  "I  am  afraid  I  do  not 
understand,"  I  said.  "What  is  the  matter,  Miss 
Wilmer?" 

Her  head  sank  lower.  By  such  light  as  there  was 
I  could  see  that  the  spirit  had  gone  out  of  her,  that 
her  courage  had  left  her,  and  hope.  "I  cannot  do 
it,"  she  said  again.  "God  forgive  me !" 

"What?  What  cannot  you  do !"  I  asked,  carried 
away  by  my  impatience. 

"Let  us  go  back,"  she  said.  "We  will  go  back." 
And  she  began  to  turn  her  horse's  head. 

But  that  was  absurd,  and  out  of  the  question, 
now  that  we  were  here;  and  in  my  turn  I  caught  her 
rein.  Here  was  the  ferry,  here  were  persons  who 
could  direct  us.  Had  we  traveled  so  far,  and  were 
we  at  the  last  moment,  because  a  house  looked  dark 
and  lonely,  to  lose  heart  and  retrace  our  steps? 
"Go  back?"  I  said.  "Surely  not  without  some 
reason,  Miss  Wilmer?  Surely  not  without  know- 
Ing—  " 

"Without  knowing  what?"  she  replied,  cutting 
225 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

me  short.  "Why  we  are  here?"  And  then  in  a 
different  tone,  "Do  you  know,  sir,  why  we  are 
here?" 

"No,"  I  said,  in  astonishment.  For  she  who  had 
all  day  been  so  calm,  so  cool,  so  steadfast,  now 
spoke  with  a  wildness  that  alarmed  me.  "Why?" 

"To  put  you,"  she  replied,  "into  the  power  of 
those  with  whom  you  will  fare  as  my  father  fares! 
Do  you  understand,  sir?  To  make  you  a  hostage 
for  him,  your  life  for  his  life,  your  freedom  for  his 
freedom!  Do  you  know  that  there  are  those,  in 
yonder  house,  who  are  waiting  for  you,  —  who  are 
waiting  for  you,  and  who,  if  my  father  suffers,  will 
do  to  you  as  your  friends  do  to  him?  Do  you  know 
that  it  was  for  that  that  I  brought  you  hither;  yes, 
for  that !  And  now,  now  that  I  am  here,  I  cannot 
do  it — "  her  voice  sank  to  a  whisper  —  "even  to 
save  my  father!" 

A  dry  painful  sob  shook  her  in  the  saddle.  She 
clung  to  the  pommel,  the  reins  fell  from  her  hands, 
the  tired  horse  under  her  hung  its  head.  "Good 
Lord!"  I  whispered.  "Good  Lord!  And  you 
brought  me  here  for  that." 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "for  that." 

"And  — and  Lord  Cornwallis  — you  knew  that  you 
had  nothing  to  expect  from  him?"  She  bowed  her 
head.  "But  did  you  not  know,  Miss  Wilmer,  that 

226 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

this  —  this,  too,  was  hopeless  ?  Insane,  mad  ?  Did 
you  not  know  that  Lord  Rawdon  would  as  soon 
depart  from  his  duty  in  order  to  save  me,  as  the  sun 
from  his  course?" 

"Men  have  been  saved  that  way,"  she  cried,  with 
something  of  her  old  spirit.  "And  you  are  his 
friend,  sir,  you  have  influence,  you  have  rank,  oh, 
he  would  do  much  to  save  you !  Yes,  I  might  have 
saved  my  father!  I  might  have  preserved  him  — 
and  now!"  her  chin  sank  again  upon  her  breast. 

"It  was  a  mad  plot !"  I  said. 

"But  it  might  have  saved  him,"  she  whispered. 
"My  lord  spoke  warmly  of  you,  he  shewed  me  your 
sword  on  the  table.  Yes,  I  might  have  saved  my 
father  —  but  I  could  not  do  it.  And  now  — "  Her 
voice  died  away. 

"It  was  a  mad  plot,"  I  repeated.  However  strong 
her  belief,  I,  of  course,  knew  that  such  a  step  was 
hopeless;  that  no  danger  in  which  I  might  stand 
would  turn  Rawdon  from  his  duty,  but  on  the  con 
trary  would  stiffen  him  in  it.  It  was  a  mad  plan. 
But  apparently  she  had  believed  in  it,  apparently 
she  had  trusted  in  it;  and  at  the  last  she  had  been 
unable  to  harden  her  heart  to  carry  it  through! 
Why?  I  asked  myself  the  question. 

She  sighed,  and  the  sound  went  to  my  heart. 
She  gathered  up  her  reins.  "We  had  better  go, 

227 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

sir,"  she  said,  in  a  lifeless  tone,  "before  they  dis 
cover  our  presence.  They  may  hear  our  voices." 

She  had  not  had  the  strength  to  carry  it  through ! 
Why?  My  heart  beat  more  quickly  as  I  pondered 
the  question.  I  no  longer  felt  the  fog  on  my  cheek, 
the  ague  hi  my  bones.  The  note  of  the  bull-frog 
lost  its  melancholy,  the  sigh  of  the  wind  across  the 
marshes  its  sadness.  Warmth  awoke  in  me,  and 
with  it  hope,  and  a  purpose  —  a  purpose,  wild  it 
might  be,  high-strained  it  might  be,  and  extrava 
gant,  but  deliberate.  For  as  certainly  as  I  loved  her, 
as  certainly  as  my  heart-strings  were  torn  for  the 
tenderness  of  her  body  broken  by  so  many  fatigues, 
for  the  agony  of  her  spirit  which  had  borne  her  so 
far,  as  certainly  as  she  was  heaven  and  earth  to  me 
—  and  she  loved  me,  I  believed  it  now !  —  so  surely 
did  I  know  that  there  was  but  one  bridge  which 
could  cross  the  gulf  that  divided  me  from  her! 
There  was  one  way,  and  one  way  only,  which  could 
bring  me  to  her. 

And  that  way  lay  through  the  door  of  the  mill. 
Yet  first  —  first,  strong  as  my  purpose  was,  I  had  to 
fight  the  temptation  to  pay  myself  a  part  of  that 
which  fate  might  withhold  from  me.  To  clasp  her 
knees  as  I  stood  beside  her,  to  draw  her  down  to  me, 
to  hold  her  on  my  breast,  to  cover  her  face,  white 
and  woe-begone  in  the  moonlight,  with  kisses,  to  tell 

228 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

her  that  I  loved  her  —  this  had  been  heaven  to  me ! 
But  I  had  to  forego  it.  I  might  not  pay  myself 
beforehand.  Afterwards  —  but  I  dared  not  think 
of  afterwards.  I  dared  not  think  of  what  lay  be 
tween  the  present  and  the  future.  I  must  act,  not 
think. 

"We  had  better  go,"  she  repeated  dully. 

"And  you  thought  it  might  save  him?"  I  said. 

"I  thought  that  I  could  do  it!"  she  answered. 
She  shivered. 

"You  shall  do  it,"  I  replied.    "Come !" 

I  led  my  horse  towards  the  door,  and  had  trav 
elled  half  the  space  that  lay  between  us  and  the 
threshold  before  she  grasped  my  meaning;  before 
she  moved.  Then,  "Stop !"  she  cried.  She  pressed 
her  horse  abreast  of  me.  "Don't  you  under 
stand?"  she  cried.  "Don't  you  see — " 

"Yes,"  I  said,  "I  see."  And  for  a  moment,  as  we 
passed  from  the  moonlight  into  the  shadow,  and  the 
horses'  shoes  clattered  on  the  stones  before  the  door, 
I  let  my  hand  rest  on  her  knee.  "  I  see.  But  I  also 
remember.  I  remember  that  your  father  saved  my 
life.  I  remember  that  I  delivered  him  up  to  death. 
I  remember  —  many  things.  And  if  any  risk  of 
mine  may  avail  to  save  him,  God  knows  that  I  take 
the  hazard  cheerfully !" 

She  cried,  "No!"  with  a  sort  of  passion,  and 
229 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

she  tried  to  draw  me  back.     But  it  was  too  late.    I 
was  at  the  door.     I  kicked  it. 

"House!"  I  cried.  "House!"  My  mind  was 
made  up.  Whatever  came  of  it,  whatever  the  issue, 
I  would  go  through  with  the  venture. 

Immediately  a  light  shone  under  the  door,  a  voice 
cried,  "  Halloa ! "  And  while,  stammering  words  half- 
heard,  the  girl  still  tried  to  turn  me  from  my  pur 
pose,  the  door  was  opened,  and  a  light  was  flashed 
in  my  face.  A  man  confronted  me  on  the  threshold, 
two  others  slipped  by  me  into  the  darkness.  Prob 
ably  the  purpose  of  the  latter  was  to  cut  off  my  re 
treat,  but  I  paid  no  heed  to  them. 

"Can  you  direct  us  to  the  ferry?"  I  said. 

"Why  not?"  the  man  drawled.  "Step  inside, 
sir.  Ben  will  hold  your  horse.  And  a  lady? 
Well,  we  did  not  expect  to  see  company  and  we'll 
do  the  best  we  can.  We  shall  not  be  for  letting  you 
go  in  a  hurry,"  he  added  with  meaning  in  his  tone. 

It  was  not  my  cue  to  notice  the  sneer,  or  to  show 
suspicion,  and  I  followed  the  man  into  the  lower 
room  of  the  mill,  a  damp  stable-like  place,  where  the 
light  fell  on  the  shining,  startled  eyes  of  a  row  of 
horses  tethered  at  a  rack.  I  ran  my  eye  along  them; 
it  was  well  to  know  what  force  I  had  against  me. 
There  were  six.  We  passed  behind  their  heels,  and 
picking  our  way  over  the  filthy  floor  followed  the 

230 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

man  up  a  ladder  to  what  appeared  to  be  the  living- 
room  of  the  place.  As  I  climbed  I  heard  above  me 
a  sharp  question  and  an  exultant  answer;  and,  I 
confess,  my  heart  sank,  for  I  recognized  the  voice 
that  put  the  question.  It  was  with  no  surprise,  and 
certainly  it  was  with  no  pleasure,  that  emerging  from 
the  trap  I  found  myself  face  to  face  with  my  old 
acquaintance,  Levi. 

There  were  two  more  of  the  gang  with  him  — 
I  knew  them  again.  The  three  men  were  seated  on 
boxes  before  a  fire,  the  smoke  from  which  found  a 
leisurely  exit  through  a  broken  chimney  of  clay. 
The  walls  were  formed  of  squared  logs,  the  shingled 
roof  was  festooned  with  cobwebs.  In  one  corner 
lay  a  heap  of  dirty  cornstraw,  in  another  a  pile  of 
driftwood.  The  floor  was  a  litter  of  broken  casks 
and  cases,  with  some  rotting  gear  and  fishing-nets, 
and  a  keg  or  two. 

Levi  made  me  a  mock  bow.  "Evening,  Major," 
he  said,  "Well,  well,  you  surely  never  know  your 
luck!  Never  know  when  you're  going  to  meet  old 
friends !  I'm  d  —  d  if  we'll  part  this  time  as  easily 
as  we  did  last  time !" 

"We  only  want  the  ferry,"  I  said,  playing  out 
my  part. 

"Oh!"  he  cried  rudely.  "Our  duty  to  you,  and 
hang  the  ferry !  We've  wanted  you  mightily,  Major, 

231 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

and  now  you  are  here  we  mean  to  keep  you.  Here, 
sirree,  get  up,"  he  continued,  kicking  the  box  from 
under  one  of  the  other  men,  "Let  the  lady  sit  down. 
Cannot  you  see  that  she's  dog-weary?" 

The  man  moved  awkwardly  out  of  the  way. 

"The  Captain  will  have  a  high  opinion  of  you, 
Ma'am,"  Levi  continued  in  an  oily  tone  that  made 
me  long  to  wring  his  neck.  "  If  you'll  be  bidden  by 
me,  you  will  allow  me  to  offer  you  a  sup  of  Kentucky 
whisky.  It's  the  queen  of  liquors  to  bring  the 
color  back  to  your  cheeks." 

She  did  not  decline  the  offer;  no  doubt  she  needed 
support.  He  put  a  cloak  on  the  box  and  she  sat 
down  with  her  back  to  me,  either  to  play  her  part 
the  better,  or  because  she  could  not  bear  to  face  me. 
None  the  less  could  I  picture  the  ordeal  through 
which  she  was  passing!  Levi,  fussing  about  her, 
brought  out  a  bottle  and  drawing  the  corn-cob  cork 
poured  some  of  the  spirit  into  a  small  bowl.  She 
drank  it  and  said  something  to  him  in  a  low  voice. 

"Pete  is  saddling  his  horse  now,"  he  answered. 
"He's  a  mighty  good  man  in  the  saddle,  and  he'll 
not  spare  his  spurs.  He'll  take  the  message !  But 
we  shall  need  a  piece  of  the  fur  to  prove  that  the 
bear  is  trapped.  Here  you,"  he  went  on  trucu 
lently,  turning  to  me,  "You  are  in  our  power  and 
we  are  going  to  hold  you  as  a  hostage  for  Wilmer. 

232 


THE     MAN'S    PART 

Do  you  understand?  If  your  folks  hang  him,  we 
shall  hang  you!  Do  you  see?  Have  I  spoken 
plainly,  sir?" 

"Plainly  enough,"  I  said.  "But  you  must  be 
very  foolish  if  you  think  that  that  will  do  Captain 
Wilmer  any  good;  if  you  think  that  a  threat  of  that 
kind  will  make  Lord  Rawdon  hold  his  hand." 

"D —  n  my  lord  and  his  hand!"  he  retorted 
coarsely;  and  he  spat  on  the  floor.  "My  lord  will 
decide  as  he  pleases.  But  as  he  decides,  you,  Major, 
will  hang  or  go  free.  So,  by  your  leave  do  you  write 
and  tell  your  folks  what  I  say." 

"If  I  write,"  I  replied,  "I  shaU  tell  his  lordship 
to  do  his  duty." 

"Major,"  he  answered.  "Do  you  see  that  fire? 
We  have  means  to  persuade  you  and  if  you  try  us 
too  far  — " 

"I  shall  not  write,"  I  said.  "If  I  write  those 
are  my  terms.  That  is  what  I  shall  write.  But  if 
it's  only  proof  that  I  am  in  your  hands  that  you 
require,  take  my  ring.  It  will  be  known  and  will 
do  what  you  want.  Only  I  warn  you,  my  friend, 
that  the  man  who  carries  the  message  will  slip  his 
neck  into  a  noose." 

"Do  you  think  that  we  don't  know  that!"  Levi 
replied,  grinning.  "We  need  no  Philadelphia  lawyer 
to  teach  us  our  business.  This  country  is  ours — ours, 

233 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

Englishman,  and  it  is  going  to  remain  ours.  We 
have  ten  friends  where  King  George  has  one,  and  we 
shall  know  how  to  place  your  ring  where  we  want  it. 
Many  is  the  time  that  I've  laughed  to  think  of 
Wilmer  fighting  your  quails  for  you,  and  you  put 
ting  on  the  money,  and  your  bird  not  worth  a  con 
tinental  cent!" 

The  girl  raised  her  head.  She  said  something  that 
I  could  not  hear. 

"To  be  sure,  Miss,"  he  answered  obsequiously. 
"To  be  sure,  tune  is  running.  Here,  give  me  the 
ring."  He  weighed  it  a  minute  in  his  hand  and  his 
eyes  sparkled  as  if  he  had  no  mind  to  part  with  it. 
Then  he  turned  to  the  ladder.  The  girl  rose  too. 
"I  will  speak  to  Pete,"  she  said. 

"We  need  not  trouble  you,"  he  answered.  "You 
sit  down,  Ma'am,  and  rest." 

"I  will  speak  to  Pete,"  she  said  again,  as  if  he  had 
not  spoken.  And  carefully  averting  her  face  from 
me  —  I  wondered  if  she  knew  how  deeply,  how  piti 
fully  I  felt  for  her  —  she  followed  Levi  down  the 
ladder. 


234 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  MILL  ON  THE  WATEREE 

With  what  a  leaden  and  retarding  weight 
Does  expectation  load  the  wing  of  Time. 

MASON. 

The  thing  was  done,  for  good  or  ill;  it  remained 
for  me  to  make  the  best  of  it.  I  was  in  Levi's  power, 
but  I  might  still  by  firmness  hold  my  own  for  a  time. 
Thinking  of  this,  I  turned  a  case  on  end,  dusted  it 
cooly  with  the  skirt  of  my  coat  and  setting  it  near 
the  fire,  I  sat  down  on  it  and  warmed  myself.  The 
men  who  had  been  left  with  me  watched  me  curiously 
but  did  not  interfere.  They  were  busy,  cooking 
something  in  a  pot  by  the  light  of  a  wick  burning  in 
a  bowl  of  green  wax.  Meantime,  the  minutes  passed 
slowly;  very  slowly,  while  I  waited  and  listened 
for  news  of  the  others.  Five,  ten,  fifteen  min 
utes  went  by  before  the  clatter  of  horses'  shoes 
on  the  stones  of  the  paved  yard  told  us  that  Pete 
had  started.  A  little  later  Constantia  climbed  the 
ladder,  and  appeared,  closely  followed  by  Levi,  and 
by  another  man  who  was  doubtless  one  of  those 
who  had  slipped  by  me  at  the  door. 

235 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

The  girl  paused  on  reaching  the  floor,  then  de 
liberately  she  came  forward  and  chose  a  seat  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  fire  and  as  far  from  mine  as 
possible.  Levi  grinned.  "Well,  Major,"  he  said 
"Pete's  gone,  whip  and  spur!  If  you've  sense 
enough  you'll  wish  htm  luck." 

"I  do,"  I  said  cooly,  "but  as  that  matter  is 
not  very  pressing,  and  I  am  hungry,  uncommonly 
hungry  — " 

"It'll  be  mighty  pressing  this  time  to-morrow," 
he  grinned.  "You've  twenty-four  hours,  and  may 
make  the  most  of  it !  Then,  if  things  don't  go  our 
way!  " 

"I  understand,"  I  said.  "But  in  the  meantime, 
my  man,  I  am  more  interested  in  my  supper.  The 
lady,  too,  has  been  riding  for  six  hours  —  " 

"Oh,  the  lady?"  he  sneered.  "You  bear  no 
malice  it  seems?" 

"At  any  rate  I  will  keep  it  until  I  am  free,"  I 
answered,  carefully  averting  my  eyes  from  her. 

"If  that  time  comes?"  he  retorted. 

"Just  so,"  I  said. 

I  think  it  was  his  purpose  to  make  me  angry;  but 
at  this  point  one  of  the  others,  the  ruffian  who  had 
kept  watch  in  the  outer  room  on  the  night  of  the 
outrage  at  the  Bluff,  struck  in.  "  Make  an  end ! "  he 
growled  with  an  oath.  "Isn't  it  enough,"  address- 

236 


THE     MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

ing  me,  "that  you've  the  use  of  your  throat  to-night 
that  you  must  argy,  argy,  argy !  Keep  your  breath 
to  cool  your  victuals,  stranger  —  while  you  have  it ! 
And,  curse  me,  you're  as  bad,  Levi !  Let's  have  an 
end !  And  do  you,"  to  the  men  at  the  fire,  "get  on 
with  that  pork  and  hominy !" 

The  girl  did  not  say  a  word.  She  sat  somewhat 
apart  wrapped  in  a  cloak  and  leaning  forward.  Her 
elbow  rested  on  her  knee,  her  chin  on  her  hand,  her 
eyes  were  fixed  on  the  fire.  The  pose  was  one  of 
utter  weariness  and  dejection,  but  it  was  so  natural, 
so  unforced  that  she  might  have  been  sitting  in  the 
room  alone.  She  seemed  to  be  unconscious  not 
only  of  my  presence  but  of  the  presence  of  the  men. 
And  they,  rough  and  desperate  as  they  were,  stood 
evidently  in  awe  of  her.  As  they  moved  to  and  fro 
about  their  cooking  they  passed  close  to  her,  and  at 
times  they  swore.  But  I  could  see  that  their  ease 
was  assumed.  Her  personality,  her  tragic  position, 
the  respect  in  which  women  are  held  in  the  southern 
colonies,  were  as  a  wall  about  her  —  for  the  present. 

And  what  was  she  thinking,  I  wondered,  as  she 
sat,  apparently  as  heedless  of  me,  as  of  the  men  who 
rubbed  elbows  with  her?  Was  she  thinking  only 
of  her  father  and  his  peril,  and  of  the  chance  which 
her  passing  weakness  had  come  so  near  to  forfeiting? 
Was  she  weighing  that  chance  between  hope  and 

237 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

fear,  and  with  no  thought  except  of  him  who  lay  in 
the  prison  house  opposite  the  tavern  at  Winnsboro'  ? 
Or  was  she  dreaming  of  me  as  well  as  of  her  father? 
Thinking  of  me  with  pity,  with  gratitude,  with  — 
love?  Had  I  built  the  bridge?  Had  I  crossed  the 
gulf? 

I  could  not  say,  seeing  her  so  still,  so  remote,  so 
passionless.  At  any  rate  I  could  not  be  sure.  The 
whole  width  of  the  hearth  divided  us,  and  she  sat 
with  her  face  turned  from  me.  Not  a  glance  of  her 
veiled  eyes  sped  my  way,  and  apparently  she  was  not 
conscious  of  my  presence.  So  that  by  and  by  that 
of  which  I  had  been  confident  a  little  earlier  began 
to  seem  doubtful,  a  dream,  a  mere  delusion  on  my 
part. 

And  yet  it  might  be  true !  It  might  be  that  I  did 
exist  for  her,  largely,  filling  the  room,  shutting  out 
her  view  of  the  men  about  us,  encroaching  even  on 
her  sense  of  her  father's  peril.  It  might  be  so.  At 
any  rate  it  was  to  this  question  that  my  whole  mind 
was  directed  —  what  was  she  thinking  of  me? 
What  were  the  thoughts  behind  that  averted  face? 
Was  I  still  the  betrayer  of  her  father?  Or  —  or 
what  was  I  ? 

Presently  the  men  began  to  pour  the  mess  which 
they  had  cooked  into  rough  bowls,  and  for  a  time 
the  steam,  savoury  enough  to  the  senses  of  a  hungry 

238 


THE    MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

man,  switched  off  my  thoughts.  I  took  note  of  the 
room,  while  I  awaited  my  turn.  The  smoke  of  the 
drift-wood  fire,  mingling  with  the  fog  that  eddied  in 
from  the  marshes,  hid  the  roof,  but  the  air  below 
was  tolerably  clear.  The  men  had  propped  their 
guns  against  the  wall  opposite  me  and  I  counted  them. 
There  were  five.  An  active  man,  I  thought,  might 
have  cast  himself  between  the  arms  and  their 
owners,  and  snatching  a  gun  might  have  held  off 
the  five  —  Levi,  I  knew,  was  a  white-livered  cur. 
But  a  crippled  man  could  not  do  this;  nor,  as  I 
found  a  moment  later  when  one  of  the  men  thrust 
a  bowl  and  a  hunch  of  corn-bread  on  my  lap,  could 
he  with  any  success  cut  up  tough  pork  with  a  pocket- 
knife. 

The  cooking  was  coarse,  but  I  was  famished,  and  I 
wrestled  manfully  with  the  difficulty.  I  did  so  to 
little  purpose,  however.  The  bowl  slipped  on  my 
knees,  I  could  not  steady  it.  A  man  sniggered, 
another  laughed.  They  stopped  eating  to  look  at 
me.  At  that  I  lost  patience.  "Will  you  cut  it  for 
me?"  I  said,  holding  out  the  bowl  to  the  nearest 
man. 

He  refused  —  the  truth  was  my  difficulty  enter 
tained  their  clownish  souls.  "D  —  n  me,  cut  your 
own  victuals,"  he  answered  churlishly.  "Enough, 
that  I've  cooked  'em  for  you." 

239 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"Be  thankful  you've  a  throat  to  swallow  'em 
with!"  said  a  second. 

The  others  laughed;  and  at  that,  I  who  had  taken 
with  coolness  their  threat  to  murder  me,  felt  such  a 
rage  rise  within  me,  helpless  as  I  was,  that  the  tears 
stood  in  my  eyes.  I  looked  at  Constantia. 

There  was  the  faintest  stain  of  color  in  her 
cheeks,  but  apparently  she  was  unconscious  of  what 
was  passing.  Still  and  self-contained,  she  was  eat 
ing  and  drinking  with  the  steady  purpose  of  one  who 
was  set  on  maintaining  her  strength.  As  quickly  as 
anger  had  risen,  it  died  in  me,  and,  alas,  my  heart 
sank  with  it.  The  men  might  jeer  and  taunt  and 
laugh,  I  no  longer  cared.  I  finished  my  meal  as  I 
could,  heeding  their  amusement  as  little  as  she  did. 
For  the  savor  had  left  the  food.  I  saw  that  I 
must  have  been  mistaken.  Yes,  I  must  have  been 
mistaken.  She  could  not  care  for  me. 

When  all  was  eaten  Levi  went  down  with  two  of 
the  men  to  set  a  guard,  and  he  was  absent  for  some 
time.  When  he  returned,  wood  was  put  on  the  fire 
and  the  lamp  was  extinguished.  For  a  time  he  and 
the  men  remained  apart  talking  in  low  voices,  but 
soon,  one  by  one,  they  left  the  group,  pulled  cloaks 
or  blankets  about  them  and  lay  down  —  one  of  them 
across  the  trap-door.  Levi  made  the  girl  some  offer 
of  accommodation,  but  she  refused  it,  and  dragging 

240 


THE     MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

a  second  box  to  the  fire,  to  eke  out  the  first,  she 
made  a  rough  couch,  on  which  she  sat  with  her  feet 
raised  and  her  back  against  the  wall.  I  lay  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  fire,  some  way  from  her;  and  at 
times  I  fancied  that  her  eyes  dwelt  on  me.  But  I 
could  not  be  sure,  for  her  face,  half  shrouded  by  her 
cloak  and  in  shadow,  was  hard  to  distinguish;  while 
I,  when  I  looked  that  way,  met  the  light. 

If  I  had  been  sure  that  her  eyes  were  upon  me,  if 
I  had  been  sure  that  she  thought  of  me  and  thanked 
me,  I  could  have  faced  the  prospect  more  lightly. 
But  I  had  no  certainty  of  this;  I  had,  indeed,  much 
reason  to  doubt  it,  and  I  looked  forward  to  a  night 
of  suspense.  I  foresaw  that  as  the  warmth  died  in 
me  and  the  small  hours  chilled  my  bones  and  damped 
my  resolution,  I  should  repent  of  what  I  had  done. 
A  man  snored,  another  muttered  in  his  sleep,  the 
mosquitoes  troubled  me.  At  intervals  a  horse  moved 
restlessly  in  the  stable  below.  A  marsh-owl,  hunting 
along  the  river  bank,  tore  the  night  from  time  to  time 
with  its  shrill  screech.  I  had  no  hope  of  sleep. 

The  danger  that  is  thrust  on  a  man,  he  must 
meet.  But  the  danger  into  which,  being  no  hero, 
he  has  thrust  himself,  is  another  matter.  I  knew 
that  long  before  morning,  I  should  feel  that  I  had 
cast  away  my  life.  Thoughts  of  Osgodby  and  Eng 
land,  visions  of  home  faces,  now  thousands  of  miles 

241 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

away,  would  rise  to  reproach  me.  I  should  see  — 
with  that  terrible  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  clear 
ness  —  that  for  a  fancy,  for  a  woman's  whim,  for  a 
fantastic  point  of  honor,  I  had  done  what  I  had  no 
right  to  do;  I  had  sacrificed  my  life  and  all  that  I 
had  valued  a  short  time  back.  I  should  remember 
that  she  had  scarcely  touched  my  hand  in  friendship, 
had  never  listened  to  a  word  of  love,  never  said  even 
that  she  forgave  me ! 

But  blessed  be  the  soldier's  habit  of  making  the 
best  of  the  present!  In  half  an  hour,  before  the 
strangeness  of  the  situation  had  quite  worn  off, 
before  her  near  neighborhood,  at  another  time  so 
disturbing,  had  grown  familiar,  before  the  owl's 
sharp  note  had  ceased  to  startle,  I  dozed.  And 
presently  worn  out  by  strain  —  for  sorrow  sleeps 
soundly  —  I  fell  into  a  deep  slumber  which  lasted 
until  long  after  daylight. 

When  I  awoke  there  were  only  two  men  in  the 
room.  They  were  chopping  up  drift-wood  in  a 
corner,  and  it  was  the  sound  of  their  hatchets  that 
had  roused  me.  The  fire  had  burned  low  on  the 
hearth,  and  my  teeth  chattered.  A  fog  filled  the 
outer  world,  poured  in  through  the  windows,  laid 
a  clammy  touch  on  everything.  Firelight  had  done 
much  the  night  before  to  redeem  the  squalor  of  the 
room;  this  morning,  daylight  showed  it  in  all  its 

242 


THE     MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE-, 

cold  and  grisly  reality.  And  where  was  Constantia? 
Where  was  Levi?  I  crossed  the  room  to  one  of  the 
windows  and  I  looked  out.  They  might  be  below. 
But  at  a  distance  of  five  yards  the  eye  plunged  into  a 
sea  of  mist.  I  could  see  nothing,  and  I  turned 
about,  shivering,  the  cold  in  my  bones. 

"You're  a  mighty  good  sleeper,"  one  of  the  men 
said  as  I  met  his  eye. 

"I  was  tired." 

"Well,  it  would  be  more  than  I  could  manage!" 
he  answered  cryptically.  "Do  you  think  they'll 
let  him  go!" 

"  Captain  Wilmer?" 

He  nodded.  He  was  a  shock-headed  man  in  a 
frayed  hunting  shirt,  buckskin  leggings  and  mocas 
sins.  A  greasy  ragged  unshaven  figure  of  a  man. 

"No,"  I  said,  "I'm  sure  they  will  not.  Would 
you?" 

"D  —  d  if  I  would,"  he  answered,  grinning.  "I 
never  let  a  'possum  go  yet  that  I  got  a  grip  of! 
But  you've  spunk,  I'll  say  that !" 

The  other  man  turned  and  silenced  him  with  an 
oath,  but  I  marked  the  speaker  for  the  best-natured 
of  the  band.  Something  might  be  made  of  him,  at 
a  pinch.  Meanwhile  the  two,  having  finished  their 
task,  stirred  up  the  embers,  piled  on  wood  and  started 
the  fire.  When  they  had  done  this  I  crouched  miser- 

243 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

ably  enough  over  the  blaze,  while  the  two  went 
about  getting  a  meal.  I  noticed  that  the  guns  had 
been  removed.  It  struck  me  that,  were  I  only  fifty 
yards  away  in  this  fog  I  should  be  safe  from  pursuit. 
But  how  was  I  to  win  those  fifty  yards ! 

As  I  thought  of  this  and  with  my  mind's  eye 
measured  the  height  from  the  windows  to  the  ground, 
I  heard  voices  below,  and  after  a  short  interval  Con- 
stantia  came  up  the  ladder,  muffled  in  her  cloak. 
She  did  not  look  in  my  direction,  but  she  came 
straight  to  the  fire  and  stooped  over  it  to  warm  her 
hands.  Then,  hardly  moving  her  lips,  and  choosing 
a  moment  when  the  two  men  had  turned  their 
backs,  "Be  close  to  me,"  she  breathed  "if  trouble 
comes.  Keep  away  now." 

She  moved  some  paces  from  me  as  soon  as  she 
had  spoken,  and  when  Levi  and  the  other  two  men 
appeared,  we  were  standing  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
hearth.  Levi  cast  a  sharp  glance  at  me;  I  think  he 
had  his  suspicions  —  God  knows  what  had  roused 
them  when  I  had  seen  nothing !  But  he  only  swore 
at  the  men  for  letting  down  the  fire  and  at  the  fire  for 
giving  no  warmth,  and  at  the  morning  for  being  cold. 
If  ever  there  was  an  ill-conditioned  cur,  he  was  one ! 

For  me,  I  was  no  longer  cold.  Her  words,  her  tone, 
tingled  through  my  veins,  set  my  pulses  beating, 
did  all  but  give  strength  to  my  useless  arm.  I 

244 


could  face  anything  now,  I  could  face  the  worst  now, 
and  hope  to  live  through  it. 

My  relief,  indeed,  was  unspeakable.  But  apart 
from  me  —  and  I  masked  my  feelings  —  it  was  a 
gloomy  party  that,  shivering  in  the  aguish  air, 
gathered  about  the  poor  meal  and  ate  and  drank  in  a 
brutish  fashion.  Constantia  kept  her  old  place  on 
the  farther  side  of  the  hearth,  and  muffled  in  her 
cloak  preserved  a  stern  silence.  Her  face  by  the 
morning  light  looked  white  and  drawn,  so  that  even 
in  a  lover's  eyes  it  lacked  something  of  its  ordinary 
beauty.  But  the  strain  which  she  was  putting  on 
herself  did  not  appear  until  the  meal  was  over, 
and  we  had  risen  from  our  seats.  Then  when  the 
men,  stuffing  their  corn-cob  pipes,  had  gone,  some  to 
feed  the  horses,  and  some  to  lean  yawning  from  the 
windows  and  curse  the  fog,  she  began  to  walk  up  and 
down  the  room;  while  Levi  watched  her  openly  and 
I  in  secret.  To  and  fro,  she  paced,  the  hood  of  her 
cloak  drawn  over  her  head,  to  and  fro,  this  way  and 
that,  restlessly;  only  breaking  her  march  at  inter 
vals  to  glance  from  the  window  and  sigh,  and  so  to 
resume  her  walk. 

"There'll  be  no  news  yet,  ma'am,"  Levi  said  after 
a  time.  He  spoke  with  servility  but  I  guessed  that 
he  was  suspicious  and  uneasy.  I  wondered  if  he  had 
intercepted  some  glance  meant  for  me. 

245 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

She  gave  him  no  answer  by  word  or  look.  She 
continued  to  walk  up  and  down.  Impatience  seemed 
to  be  getting  the  better  of  her.  She  could  not  be 
still. 

"They'll  be  having  the  message,  about  this  tune," 
he  said,  glancing  at  me  in  turn.  "Not  a  minute 
earlier." 

I  nodded.    I  had  no  doubt  that  he  was  right. 

"Curse  me,"  he  continued,  "but  as  sure  as  there 
are  snakes  in  Virginia,  you're  a  cool  fish,  Major! 
You  mightn't  have  a  tongue  in  your  head.  What 
is  it,  I'd  like  to  know,  you  have  up  your  sleeve?" 

I  laughed.  It  was  easy  to  laugh  since  she  had 
spoken  to  me. 

The  man  with  the  buckskin  shirt  was  sitting  on 
the  sill  of  the  farther  window,  swinging  his  feet.  He 
began  to  whistle.  The  girl  stopped  in  her  walk,  as  if 
she  had  been  struck.  She  looked  at  him  with  some 
thing  in  her  face  that  was  equal  to  a  man's  worst 
oath.  Then,"oh,  hush !"  she  said.  "Hush !" 

The  fellow  stared  at  her  in  astonishment,  but  he 
ceased  to  whistle.  She  stood.  For  a  minute  or 
two  there  was  no  sound  in  the  room  except  the 
bubbling  of  a  foul  pipe,  no  sound  outside  but  the 
wailing  cry  of  a  waterfowl.  It  was  the  mallard's 
cry  that  she  had  heard,  perhaps;  for  presently  she 
resumed  her  walk,  Levi  still  watching  her  with  a 

246 


THE    MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

crafty  eye.  If  she  was  listening  he  was  thinking,  and 
it  was  then  for  the  first  time  that  it  struck  me  with 
something  of  a  shock  that  he  was  not  the  man  to 
let  me  go  —  however  Wilmer  might  fare.  A  bad 
thought  that,  to  intrude  at  this  time ! 

One  of  the  horses  pawed  restlessly  in  the  room 
below,  and  the  man  who  had  gone  down  to  feed  them, 
shouted  a  question  from  the  foot  of  the  ladder. 
Levi  answered  him.  The  interruption  this  caused 
brought  the  same  look  of  impatience,  of  endurance, 
of  sheer  suffering  to  the  girl's  face.  She  stood,  she 
turned  to  me;  for  the  first  time,  as  if  she  could  no 
longer  control  herself,  she  spoke  to  me  openly. 
"What  time  is  it?"  she  asked. 

"Half  past  ten/'  I  said.  "I  fear  that  you  cannot 
expect  news  yet."  I  was  moved  indeed,  moved  to 
the  heart  with  pity  for  her;  and  pained,  in  the  midst 
of  my  own  anxiety,  to  think  that  she  should  pass 
intolerable  hours  in  expecting  what  could  not  come 
yet  —  and  in  my  view  would  not  come  at  all.  By 
and  by  things  would  be  better.  The  sun  would  suck 
up  the  vapors,  we  should  breathe  more  freely,  we 
should  be  able  to  look  abroad,  we  should  see  some 
thing  if  it  were  but  the  sun-lit  marshes.  As  it  was, 
the  grizly  room,  the  choking  fog,  the  men,  the  sus 
pense,  set  the  worst  face  on  everything  and  filled  me 
with  loathing. 

247 


MADAM     CO-NSTANTIA 

Presently  a  flight  of  birds  passed  the  house  with  a 
whirring  of  wings  and  a  single  note  of  alarm.  The 
man  at  the  window  leant  out  to  follow  them  with 
his  eye.  He  muttered  something  about  a  gun,  and 
again  there  was  silence,  while  Constantia  resumed 
her  restless  march,  and  Levi  followed  her  with  his 
eyes. 

A  long,  long  quarter  of  an  hour  followed,  and  then 
the  silence  was  broken.  Out  of  the  fog  came  a 
faint  whooping  cry,  distant  and  tremulous.  The 
girl  was  the  first  to  hear  it  and  she  stood,  as  if  turned 
to  stone.  I  saw  her  stiffen,  I  saw  her  eyes  dilate, 
her  lips  grow  white.  Her  gaze  met  mine  in  an 
agony  of  questioning.  For  a  moment  she  ceased  to 
breathe,  so  intently  she  listened.  Then  the  cry  rose 
again,  still  distant  but  louder.  She  turned  to  the 
trap-door,  as  if  to  go  down. 

But  her  limbs  failed  her  —  at  any  rate  Levi  was 
before  her.  I  suppose  he  had  studied  her  as  closely 
as  I  had.  He  bounded  to  the  head  of  the  ladder, 
and  slipped  down  it,  calling  out  to  her  that  he  would 
see  what  it  was,  calling  out  to  the  remaining  man  to 
look  to  me.  The  girl,  thus  forestalled,  turned  from 
the  ladder,  and  went  to  the  window.  She  leant  on 
the  sill,  and  I  saw  that  she  was  shaking  from  head  to 
foot.  "It  is  Tom!"  she  murmured. 

"Tom!"  I  exclaimed. 

248 


THE    MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

"Yes !  Tom !"  she  said,  her  breath  coming  in  sobs. 
"He  has  news.  Oh,  God  in  His  mercy  grant  that  it 
be  good  news!" 

We  saw  Levi  and  two  of  the  men  run  from  the 
house,  and  vanish  in  the  fog  that  hid  the  road. 
We  heard  the  cry  once  more  —  it  was  near  at  hand 
now  —  but  there  followed  on  it  a  confused  outcry,  a 
thudding  of  feet,  a  shot  —  the  flame  of  which  for  an 
instant  rent  the  mist  —  a  struggle.  The  girl  sank 
against  me,  and  if  I  had  not  put  my  arm  round  her 
and  supported  her,  she  would  have  fallen.  "It  was 
Tom ! "  she  gasped.  "  It  was  Tom ! " 

"Then  there's  some  foul  play  on  foot!"  I  cried. 

"Yes,  foul  play,"  she  whispered.  "They'll  not 
let  us  have  the  news !  They'll  keep  the  news  from 
us!"  For  a  moment  I  thought  that  she  would  col 
lapse  altogether,  but  as  suddenly  as  she  had  given 
way,  she  recovered.  She  drew  a  deep  fluttering 
breath,  released  herself  from  my  arm,  stood  up. 
She  glanced,  pale  and  frowning,  at  the  man  who 
leant  from  the  other  window.  He,  too,  was  striv 
ing  to  make  out  what  was  passing,  and  from  time 
to  time  he  gave  vent  to  his  excitement  in  an  oath. 
He  had  forgotten  us,  and  forgotten  his  duty,  too, 
if  it  was  to  guard  us.  While  one  might  count  five 
she  considered  him;  then  deftly,  with  her  eyes  still 
fixed  on  him  she  drew  a  pistol  from  some  hidden 

249 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

place  in  her  dress,  and  slipped  it  into  my  hand. 
"Can  you  use  it?"  she  whispered. 

"Yes,"  I  muttered. 

Then,  "Now!"  she  said. 

I  cocked  it,  saw  that  the  priming  was  in  its  place, 
and  took  two  steps  towards  the  man.  "Halloa!" 
I  cried. 

He  drew  in  his  head  and  found  himself  covered  by 
the  pistol;  a  pistol  is  a  thing  a  one-armed  man  can 
use.  "Go  down!"  I  said.  "Quick!"  He  opened 
his  mouth  to  speak.  "Quick,  my  man,  go  down!" 
I  repeated.  "Or  —  that's  better!"  I  said,  as,  still 
covered  by  the  muzzle  he  moved  unwillingly  to  the 
head  of  the  ladder,  and  began,  swearing  furiously,  to 
descend.  "Tell your  rogue  of  a  leader,"  I  went  on, 
"to  come  under  the  window  and  speak  to  me!" 

I  should  have  followed  the  man  down,  seen  him 
out,  and  barred  the  outer  door,  thus  securing  the 
horses;  but  one  of  the  gang  was  in  the  lower  door 
way,  and  though  his  attention  was  fixed  on  the  scene 
that  was  passing  outside  I  feared  to  lose  all  by  trying 
to  gain  too  much.  Instead  I  waited  until  our  man's 
head  was  below  the  level  of  the  floor,  then  I  dropped 
tne  pistol  and  shut  down  the  trap  upon  him.  As 
quickly  as  I  did  it,  Constantia  was  at  my  elbow  with 
the  heaviest  case  she  could  drag  forward.  We  set  it 
on  the  trap-door,  furiously  piled  a  second  on  the  top 

250 


THE     MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

of  it  and  a  third  on  that.  Then  we  looked  at  one 
another.  Her  eyes  were  gloomy.  "  They  have  killed 
him!"  she  exclaimed.  "They  have  killed  Tom!" 

"I  hope  not,"  I  said.  "They  may  have  fired  to 
frighten  him!" 

"And  the  news!"  she  panted.  She  clasped  her 
hands.  "  He  brought  news ! " 

The  news?  Ay,  it  was  that  which  had  done  it! 
She  was  hungering,  thirsting,  parched  for  the  news, 
and  they  kept  it  from  her!  She  could  have  killed 
the  men,  for  that !  And  yet,  what  news,  I  wondered, 
had  she  in  her  mind  ?  What  news  could  she  expect 
at  this  hour  of  the  day,  when  Pete  could  barely  have 
delivered  his  message  ? 

Still  that  was  a  small  question  beside  the  fact 
that  I  was  out  of  the  snare,  was  free,  was  armed. 
And  she  was  with  me,  one  with  me,  leaning  on  my 
care  and  protection.  I  looked  round  the  dreary 
room;  it  was  changed,  it  was  glorified,  I  could  have 
shouted  with  joy.  Only  now  when  it  had  passed 
from  me  did  I  gauge  the  depth  of  the  shadow  of 
death !  Only  now  did  I  measure,  with  a  pistol  in  my 
hand,  my  fear  of  the  rope ! 

True,  we  were  still  in  peril,  but  my  heart  rose 
to  meet  the  danger,  and  exulted  in  it.  I  knew  Levi 
to  be  a  cur  and  his  men  were  much  of  the  same 
kidney.  I  reckoned  that  we  were  hardly  two  miles 

251 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

from  the  main  road  along  which  our  patrols  would 
be  constantly  passing  in  the  day-time;  nor  more 
than  four  miles  as  the  crow  flies,  from  the  detach 
ment  at  the  ferry.  A  little  shooting  on  Levi's  part 
or  ours  would  soon  bring  our  people  about  his  ears. 

Still,  we  must,  for  a  time,  depend  on  ourselves  and 
our  own  resources,  and  we  had  only  one  pistol  and 
six  cartridges.  A  second  pistol  was  a  thing  much  to 
be  desired.  So  while  I  kept  watch  at  the  window, 
the  girl  at  a  word  from  me  fell  to  ransacking  the 
men's  blankets  and  saddle-bags. 

The  search  proved  fruitless,  but  by  the  time  it  had 
failed,  the  man  had  taken  my  message.  We  heard 
an  outburst  of  oaths,  and  the  sound  of  feet  running 
along  the  road;  a  moment  and  several  figures 
showed  phantom-like  through  the  mist.  There  was 
a  second  outbreak  of  blasphemy,  then  for  a  time, 
silence. 

"The  rascals  are  consulting,"  I  said.  "That  will 
not  raise  their  courage.  Councils  of  war  never 
fight." 

The  girl  did  not  answer  and  I  looked  at  her.  She 
was  sitting  on  a  box  rocking  herself  to  and  fro,  her 
elbows  on  her  knees,  her  face  hidden  in  her  hands. 
Then  I  understood.  Our  defence,  our  safety,  what 
was  passing  here,  these  were  small  things  to  her.  It 
was  still  the  news,  the  news  that  she  craved,  the  news 

252 


THE     MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

for  which  she  pined,  the  news  that  she  coveted,  as  she 
rocked  herself  to  and  fro  in  an  agony  of  impatience. 

I  thrust  my  head  out  of  the  window.  "Are  you 
coming?"  I  shouted. 

At  that  Levi  showed  himself,  timidly  and  at  a 
distance.  "What  cursed  trick  is  this?"  he  shouted. 
"What'd  she  reckon  to  fetch  us  here  for  to  jockey 
us  in  this  fashion?  Do  you  hear,  if  you  don't  come 
down,  I'll  burn  the  whole  house  and  you  in  it! 
S'helpme,  if  I  won't!" 

"Then  you'll  burn  your  horses,"  I  replied.  "And 
bring  our  detachment  from  the  ferry  on  you.  See? 
And  see  this,  too,  you  cowardly  rogue.  Give  up  the 
messenger  you've  seized !  Give  him  up !  Or  we'll 
raise  such  a  racket  as  shall  bring  my  people  on  you 
quickly!  We  have  your  horses,  and  you  cannot 
recover  them  without  coming  under  fire." 

This  was  true  for  we  had  found  two  knot-holes  in 
the  floor,  that  commanded  the  stable  below.  I 
fancied  that  this  would  go  some  way  towards  bring 
ing  them  to  terms,  for  I  knew  that  in  the  eyes  of  such 
men  as  these  their  horses  ranked  after  their  own 
skins. 

Levi  was  silent  a  moment,  digesting  the  informa 
tion.  Then,  "What  is  all  this?"  he  asked  plain 
tively.  "What  messenger  d'you  want?  We've 
none  of  your  messengers. " 

253 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"  The  messenger  is  Tom,  Captain  Wilmer's  negro," 
I  answered.  "We  know  that  you've  seized  him. 
It's  no  use  lying  to  us." 

"I'll  come  up  and  talk,"  he  said. 

"No,  you  won't!"  I  replied,  scenting  a  trap. 
"  If  you  come  too  close  I'll  put  a  bullet  through  you. 
I'll  give  you  five  minutes  to  decide.  Move  off!" 

He  drew  off  sullenly,  and  disappeared  round  the 
corner  of  the  house. 

The  girl  still  rocked  herself  to  and  fro,  and  after  a 
moment  of  thought  I  left  the  window  —  at  some 
risk  —  and  touched  her  on  the  shoulder.  "If  it 
were  bad  news,"  I  said,  "they  would  not  have  kept 
it  from  you." 

She  looked  up  at  me,  a  light  in  her  eyes.  "Say 
it  again,"  she  said. 

I  repeated  it.  "If  I  could  believe  that!"  she 
cried,  and  clapped  her  hands  to  her  face. 

"I  can  see  no  other  meaning  in  it,"  I  argued. 
"If  he  brought  bad  news,  would  he  come  so 
early?" 

She  stood  up.  "I  must  know!"  she  cried  pas 
sionately.  "  I  must  know !  I  will  go  down !  I  will 
make  them  tell  me!  I  will  wring  it  from  them! 
Am  I  to  hide  here  while  they  know  all?"  And  fall 
ing  impetuously  upon  the  litter  which  we  had  piled 
upon  the  trap-door  she  dragged  away  the  uppermost 

254 


THE    MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

case,  heavy  as  it  was,  before  I  could  hinder  her.    She 
seized  the  next,  and  strove  to  move  it. 

I  was  between  two  fires.  I  had  left  the  window 
unguarded,  and  I  could  not  tell  what  was  passing 
outside.  On  the  other  hand  I  could  not  let  her  go 
down  and  place  herself  in  the  power  of  these  mis 
creants,  who,  unless  they  were  fools,  would  hold  her 
as  a  hostage  for  my  surrender.  I  caught  her  by  the 
arm.  "  Don't !"  I  cried.  "  You  are  mad ! " 

But  she  would  not  listen,  she  persisted.  She 
struggled  with  me,  and  I  had  only  one  arm.  I  had 
to  use  my  full  strength.  I  dragged  her  away  at 
last,  and  in  the  excitement,  having  the  unguarded 
window  on  my  mind  and  the  fear  of  what  the  men 
might  do  while  she  kept  me  thus,  I  shook  her  —  I 
shook  her  angrily. 

"Come  back  to  your  senses!"  I  said.  "I  am  not 
going  to  let  you  do  it !  Do  you  hear !  You  are  not 
going  down!" 

"I  must!"  she  cried,  struggling  with  me. 

"You  will  not!"  I  said. 

She  ceased  to  struggle  at  that,  and  appeared  to 
come  to  herself.  Then  —  I  still  held  her  firmly  by 
the  arm  —  a  blush  dyed  her  face  to  the  roots  of  her 
hair.  Her  eyes  fell.  "Let  me  go,"  she  muttered. 

"Will  you  do  as  I  say?"  I  cried.  "Will  you  be 
guided?" 

255 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

"Yes,"  she  said,  her  lips  quivering.  There  were 
tears  in  her  eyes. 

"And  give  up  this  mad  idea?" 

"Yes." 

"That  is  better,"  I  replied.  "Then  put  that  case 
back,  if  you  please.  The  news  will  be  neither  better 
nor  worse  because  you  do  not  hear  it."  And  I  let 
her  go,  and  turned  quickly  to  the  window,  intent,  as 
far  as  appearances  went,  upon  Levi  and  the  gang. 

But  if  there  had  been  anything  to  note,  if  Levi 
had  made  a  move  at  that  moment,  I  doubt  if  I 
should  have  seen  it.  The  contest  had  not  taken 
two  minutes,  but  it  had  changed  all  our  relations. 
The  struggle  and  her  surrender,  the  contact  be 
tween  us  —  our  hands  had  hardly  met  hitherto  — 
had  put  the  spark  to  a  train  that  in  my  case  was 
already  laid.  My  blood  was  in  a  tumult,  my  face 
as  hot  as  hers,  my  heart  beat  furiously.  What  her 
feelings  were  I  could  only  guess.  But  the  tell-tale 
blood  that  had  waved  its  signal  in  her  cheek,  her 
sudden  confusion,  her  drooping  head,  if  these  did 
no  more  than  own  the  man's  mastery,  they  were 
such  an  advance  on  anything  that  had  passed  be 
tween  us  that  it  was  no  wonder  that  I  forgot  the 
peril,  Levi,  the  rogues,  all. 

A  minute  or  two,  during  which  I  dared  not  look 
at  her,  brought  me  to  my  senses.  I  saw  that  the 

256 


THE    MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

mist  was  thinner,  that  the  sun  was  beginning  to 
peer  through  it.  Soon  we  should  be  able  to  look 
abroad,  and  Levi  and  his  men,  surprised  in  the  open 
and  almost  within  view  of  the  highway,  might  find 
the  boot  on  the  other  leg.  My  spirits  rose;  and 
again  I  remembered,  and  they  sank  as  quickly. 
The  news!  The  news  that  she  longed  for  so  hun 
grily,  from  which  she  expected  so  much.  How 
could  it  be  good?  I  knew  Rawdon  too  well,  and 
the  story  of  poor  Andr6  was  too  fresh  in  my  mem 
ory.  Besides,  the  mens'  ultimatum  could  hardly 
have  been  delivered  And  were  the  news  bad,  as 
bad  it  must  be,  it  mattered  little  what  she  felt  for 
me  now.  The  feeling  would  not  survive  the  shock. 

I  stole  a  glance  at  her,  She  was  listening.  Pres 
ently  her  eyes  came  to  meet  mine.  "Surely,"  she 
urged,  "the  five  minutes  are  past." 

"Yes,"  I  said,  "they  must  be."  And  looking 
warily  out  of  the  window  I  shouted. 

No  one  answered,  no  one  appeared.  But  while  I 
hung  over  the  sill  and  waited  sounds  that  I  did  not 
understand  came  to  my  ears,  vaguely  at  first,  but 
presently  more  clearly.  It  seemed  to  me  that  a 
struggle  was  going  on  not  far  off.  "I  believe  Tom 
has  got  away !"  I  exclaimed.  "Or  they  are  fighting 
among  themselves.  Listen!" 

The  report  of  a  gun  startled  us.  The  girl  sprang 
257 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

to  the  window  and  breathless,  trembling  with  an 
xiety  she  leant  far  out;  so  far  that  I  drew  her  back. 
"Have  a  care !"  I  said.  "They  might  take  you  for 
me ! "  Then,  "  Who  is  this  ?  "  I  asked. 

A  man  had  appeared  at  a  little  distance  from  us, 
and  was  approaching  the  door.  I  knew  at  a  glance 
that  it  was  not  Levi;  Levi  would  have  hailed  me 
from  a  distance  or  sneaked  up  under  cover.  This 
man  came  forward  without  fear,  a  little  switch 
in  his  hand.  "It's  not  Tom!"  I  said.  The  mist 
blurred  the  man's  outline. 

"Tom?  No!"  she  answered  looking  at  me 
piteously.  Then,  "Ask  him!  He  knows!  He 
She  could  not  finish.  She  clung  to  me.  It 
was  only  later  that  I  took  hi  the  full  wonder  and 
the  meaning  of  this.  She  clung  to  me,  though  the 
news  bad  or  good,  was  not  known  to  her. 

"Halloa!"  I  shouted  to  the  man  who  was  still  a 
few  yards  from  the  door  but  was  coming  on  as  coolly 
as  if  he  were  approaching  his  own  house.  "Is  it 
good  news?"  I  had  no  doubt  of  the  answer  but  it 
was  best  to  know  the  worst,  best  to  have  it  over. 

He  looked  up  and  saw  me.  He  nodded.  "Yes, 
it's  good !"  he  said.  Then  he  nodded  again.  "Quite 
good,  Major." 

I  stared  confounded,  while  she  —  for  a  moment 
her  weight  hung  heavy  on  my  arm.  Then  she  sighed, 

258 


THE    MILL    ON    THE     WATEREE 

stiffened  herself,  and  drew  away  from  me.  I  did 
not  look  at  her.  For  one  thing  I  dared  not,  and  for 
another,  what  if  the  news  were  not  true?  Who  was 
this  man,  and  what  did  he  know? 

"Is  she  there?"  he  asked,  looking  up  and  tapping 
his  neat  boot  with  his  switch. 

"Yes,"  I  said,  still  doubting. 

"Well,  send  her  down,  will  you?"  he  replied. 
"There's  somebody  waiting  for  her  at  the  back  of  the 
mill." 

Then  I  knew  the  man.  It  was  Marion  —  General 
Marion,  for  he  had  been  raised  to  that  rank  since  I 
had  parted  from  him. 


259 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CONSTANTIA  AT  SARATOGA 

"  We  don't  think  much  of  Miss  X  —  Y  —  my  dear, 
Quite  too  fond  of  the  British  Officers." 

LIFE  OF  ELIZA  PINCKNEY. 

The  girl's  wits  were  so  much  more  nimble  than 
mine  that  she  had  staggered  under  the  news,  re 
covered  herself  and  done  much  to  remove  the  boxes 
from  the  trap-door  before  I  could  turn  to  help  her. 
Then  it  hurt  me  a  little,  I  confess,  that  she  had 
not  a  look  for  me,  or  a  word.  All  her  thoughts 
were  with  Marion.  She  flew  to  the  ladder,  descended 
it,  and  vanished,  as  if  I  had  not  existed,  or  as  if  I  had 
not  for  twenty-four  hours  spent  myself  in  the  effort  to 
undo  the  misfortune  which  I  had  brought  upon  her ! 

It  was  foolish  of  me  to  feel  this,  and  more  foolish 
to  resent  it.  But  I  did  both  and  that  so  keenly, 
that  I  was  in  no  haste  to  descend.  The  news  was 
good,  her  father  was  safe,  and  that  was  enough  for 
her.  That  was  all  for  which  she  cared.  Why 
should  I  go  down  among  them,  whoever  they  were ! 
There  are  times  when  we  are  all  children,  and  stand 
aloof  in  sullenness,  saying  that  we  will  not  play. 

260 


CONSTANTIA    AT    SARATOGA 

True,  I  had  not  done  much  for  her  —  she  had 
played  her  own  game,  it  seemed.  But  I  had  done 
what  I  could. 

So  it  was  Marion  who  presently,  cool  and  neat  and 
smoking  the  eternal  cigar,  climbed  up  to  me.  He 
took  in  the  wretched  room  with  an  appreciative  eye. 
"Home  of  the  patriot!"  he  said,  smiling.  "This  is 
what  you  drive  us  to,  Major." 

"It's  as  full  of  fleas,"  I  cried  peevishly,  "as  a 
starving  dog!" 

"I  know,"  he  said.  "The  Carolina  flea  is  grand. 
But  I  suppose  that  you've  not  heard  the  news? 
We've  hoodwinked  you  again,  Craven."  This  time 
his  tone  was  more  grave  but  his  eyes  still  twinkled. 
"Wilmer  walked  past  your  sentries  at  nine  o'clock 
last  night,  and  he's  not  a  hundred  miles  away  at 
this  moment  and  as  free  as  air." 

"Thank  God !"  I  said.    And  I  meant  it. 

"Yes,  you  can't  fight  a  people,  Major,"  he  con 
tinued.  "You  can't  fight  a  people.  You  may  be 
what  you  like  on  your  side  of  the  big  water,  but 
here  you're  no  more  than  a  garrison!  You're  like 
a  blind  man  plunging  hither  and  thither  among 
people  who  see!" 

"Suppose  you  descend  to  particulars,"  I  said 
coldly. 

"The  particular  is  Con,  God  bless  her!"  he 
261 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

answered.  "There's  an  American  girl  for  you! 
There's  a  girl  of  spirit!  Pity,"  he  continued  de 
murely,  "that  she's  a  rebel !  She  wasn't  blind.  By 
heaven,  there  wasn't  a  stone  she  left  unturned  from 
the  moment  you  left  the  Bluff !  She  sent  to  me  and 
drew  me  into  her  plans.  She  sent  to  Levi,  and  drew 
him  hi  —  silly  girl  —  as  if  any  good  could  come  of 
those  rogues!  She  drew  you  into  the  scheme  and 
made  use,  good  use  of  you,  Major.  But  all  the  time 
she  was  her  own  best  friend.  She  won  a  twenty- 
four  hours  respite  from  your  commander  —  that 
was  life  or  death  to  her.  Then,  after  learning 
through  her  nigger  and  others  the  ways  of  the  place, 
she  cast  dust  in  your  folks'  eyes  by  riding  away  to 
appeal  to  Cornwallis  —  it  was  uncommonly  clever 
that !  And  there,  I  give  your  folks  credit  —  you 
can  play  the  gentleman  when  you  please,  Major. 
If  all  of  you  played  it  and  played  it  always,"  he 
went  on  with  a  smile,  "things  would  be  very  differ 
ent  south  of  the  Dan  River.  I  should  not  be  web- 
footed  with  living  in  the  swamps  of  the  Pee  Dee; 
and  Sumter — "  his  smile  broadened  —  "  would  not 
be  sore  with  riding  bare-backed  horses  in  his  shirt." 

"I'm  glad  that  you  think  we  behaved  well,"  I  said 
dryly.  "But  the  fact  does  not  explain  Captain 
Wilmer's  escape." 

"No,  but  Con  made  her  market  of  the  fact,  God 
262 


CONSTANTIA    AT    SARATOGA 

bless  her,  as  of  other  things,"  he  answered.  And  he 
looked  at  me  so  meaningly  that  the  color  rose  in 
my  face.  "She  used  it  to  get  her  interview  with  her 
father,  and  —  of  course  you  were  too  gentlemanly 
to  search  her." 

"Which  means?" 

"That  she  took  in  a  nigger  outfit,  and  the  rest  of 
it,  under  her  skirts  —  wig,  stain,  and  all.  That 
night  her  boy,  Tom,  took  the  place  of  the  tavern 
waiter  and  carried  in  Wilmer's  supper  and  stayed 
while  he  ate  it.  At  nine  o'clock  there  was  a  fight 
among  some  negro  teamsters  in  front  of  the  tavern, 
and  under  cover  of  the  skirmish  Wilmer  carried  out 
the  tray,  with  a  napkin  in  his  mouth,  crossed  to  the 
tavern,  walked  up  the  yard  as  bold  as  brass,  and 
vanished.  Clever  wasn't  it?  Ten  minutes  later 
when  the  guard  was  changed  his  black  walked  out 
too,  carrying  the  plates.  I  suppose,  first  and  last," 
Marion  continued,  thoughtfully  tapping  his  boot, 
"a  dozen  persons  white  and  black,  knew  of  the  plan 
before  it  came  off  —  knew  where  the  'possum  was 
—  and  not  one  peached.  Weigh  that,  Major,  weigh 
that,  if  you  please,  and  tell  me,  if  you  can,  that 
you  still  think  you  will  beat  us !  Why  you're  beaten 
already!" 

"But  Tom—" 

"Oh,  the  nigger  ran  his  risk,"  Marion  replied 
263 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

carelessly.  "Wasn't  he  Wilmer's  boy,  born  on  the 
place?  He'd  do  that  and  more.  And  after  all  he 
got  clear.  And  by  God  —  I  don't  think  that  I  ever 
saw  a  more  curious  thing  than  I  saw  just  now,  and 
I'll  wager  something  it's  a  sight  that  I  shall  never 
see  again." 

"What  was  it?"  I  asked  dully.  Seven  words  he 
had  said  earlier  "she  made  use,  good  use  of  you" 
were  repeating  themselves  over  and  over  again  in  my 
brain. 

"What  was  it?  Why,  a  white  woman  on  her 
knees  kissing  a  black  man's  hands !  A  spoiled  nig 
ger,  Major !  You  may  take  it  from  me,  a  spoiled 
nigger!  Wilmer  may  as  well  free  him.  He'll 
never  be  worth  a  continental  cent  to  him  again." 

"It  was  a  clever  plan,"  I  said.  But  I  could  not 
throw  much  spirit  into  my  words. 

"Oh,  she's  a  jewel  is  Madam  Constantia!"  he 
answered.  "It  makes  me  laugh  now  to  think  how 
she  made  use  of  us  all.  She  wanted  me  to  beat  up 
Winnsboro'  at  sunrise  to-day  if  Tom's  plan  failed; 
as  if  I  were  likely  to  venture  my  fellows  against  the 
whole  British  army!  No,  I  couldn't  do  that,  even 
for  Wilmer.  But  I  told  her  I  would  move  up  to 
Camden  and  be  at  hand  at  daybreak  to-day  in  case 
he  was  followed;  and  that  if  possible  I'd  fall  back 
by  this  road.  As  a  fact  Tom  was  here  first  with  the 

264 


CONSTANTIA    AT    SARATOGA 

news,  but  those  rogues  —  there's  a  woman's  weak 
point,  she  don't  know  whom  to  trust  —  seized  him, 
poor  devil,  for  some  reason  of  their  own  and  when 
we  landed  we  found  him  tied  UD  in  a  shed  at  the 
back." 

"What's  become  of  Levi?"  I  asked.  Not  that  I 
cared  one  way  or  the  other.  She  had  made  use  of 
me,  good  use  of  me  —  with  the  rest ! 

"Gone!"  he  said  curtly.  "And  wise  to  go!  We 
shall  take  their  horses.  That'll  be  some  punish 
ment.  I  would  have  strung  him  up  with  good  will, 
but  there  are  times  when  we  need  a  dirty  tool." 

"Though  you  prefer  a  clean  one,"  I  said  bitterly. 
And  I  thought  of  myself. 

He  laughed.  "Madam  Con  will  in  future,"  he 
said.  "She's  had  a  lesson.  But,  lord,  how  happy 
that  girl  is !  Her  father  is  safe,  and  she  has  saved 
him!" 

"Well,  he's  no  use  as  a  spy  any  more !"  I  said.  I 
was  feeling  mad,  as  the  saying  is. 

"That's  true,"  he  replied,  not  losing  his  good 
humor  for  a  moment.  "As  an  American  Andre  — 
by  your  leave,  Major  —  he's  blown  upon.  The  risk 
always  made  the  girl  miserable,  and  many's  the 
night  I,  fancy,  that  she  has  not  slept  for  thinking  of 
him.  Now  that  is  at  an  end,  and  she's  doubly 
happy.  But  there,"  breaking  off,  "let  us  go  into 

265 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

the  open  air.  In  a  few  minutes  I  must  be  mov 
ing.  My  men  are  on  the  other  bank,  and  when 
the  fog  lifts  we  are  too  near  your  post  at  the  Ferry 
and  too  far  from  our  own  supports  to  be  comfortable. 
I've  a  boat  behind  the  mill  and  I  can  cross  in  five 
minutes,  but  I  shall  not  be  happy  until  we  are  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Black  River.  I  would  not  have 
come  so  far  for  any  one  but  that  girl." 

"  Nor  I,"  I  said,  forgetting  myself  for  a  moment. 

Fortunately  he  had  his  back  to  me  and  perhaps  he 
did  not  hear.  A  moment  later  we  were  outside. 
"I  am  told  that  Rawdon  has  ordered  you  to  be  put 
under  arrest,"  he  said. 

"You  heard  that?" 

"Oh,  we  hear  everything.  The  blind  man's 
moves  are  easy  to  follow.  For  the  matter  of  that 
Con  saw  your  sword  on  my  lord's  table.  He  was 
polite  as  pie  to  her,"  he  continued,  with  a  chuckle. 
"He  was  another  of  them!  He  said  a  good  deal 
about  you;  said  that  you'd  thrown  your  commission 
in  his  face,  and  he  didn't  wonder  —  I  suppose  that 
was  a  compliment  to  her  —  but  that  discipline  must 
be  maintained,  and  he  didn't  know  but  that  he'd 
have  to  send  you  home." 

"There  are  tunes  when  we  are  all  fools,"  I  said 
gloomily. 

"Suppose  I  make  you  a  prisoner?"  he  suggested, 
266 


"You  would  be  a  mean  cur,  General  Marion,  if 
you  did !"  I  cried.  For  the  moment  I  was  alarmed. 
Then  I  saw  that  he  was  smiling. 

"Peppery  as  that  are  you?"  he  said.  "I  don't 
wonder  that  my  lord  was  for  putting  you  under 
arrest.  But  don't  be  afraid.  You've  set  us  a  good 
example  and  we  are  going  to  follow  it.  Your  fault, 
Major,  is  that  you  think  you  are  the  only  gentle 
men  in  the  world.  Whereas  we  are  of  the  same 
blood  or  better!"  He  drew  himself  up,  a  heroic 
little  figure,  not  untouched  by  vanity.  "Of  the 
same  blood  or  better!"  he  repeated.  "And  if  there 
are  no  gentlemen  south  of  the  Potomac  River,  then 
believe  me,  sir,  there  are  no  gentlemen  anywhere  in 
the  world." 

"Granted,"  I  said  cordially.  "But  the  mis 
fortune  is  that  you  are  not  all  of  a  pattern." 

"No,  nor  you,"  he  riposted  sharply.  "There  are 
good  and  bad,  fine  and  mean  in  every  country,  sir,  and 
some  day  we  shall  understand  that,  and  shall  cease 
to  set  down  the  faults  of  the  few  to  the  account  of 
the  many.  War  is  tolerable,  Major;  war  between 
you  and  me !  It  is  the  abuse  of  war  that  is  intoler 
able.  But  I  must  go,  or  may  be  you  will  be  making 
me  a  prisoner.  My  compliments  to  Tarleton  when 
you  see  him  —  a  good  man  but  over  sharp;  over 
sharp,  Major !  Tell  him  that  the  Swamp  Fox  will 

267 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

give  him  many  a  run  yet,  and  will  not  be  the  first  to 
go  to  ground  if  I  can  help  it." 

We  had  walked  a  little  way  from  the  mill,  and  while 
we  talked  a  couple  of  men  had  led  out  the  horses. 
I  had  a  glimpse  of  them  as  they  vanished  round 
the  corner  of  the  build  ng.  Marion  held  out  his 
hand. 

"If  we  meet  again,  Major,"  he  said,  "we  will 
shoot  at  one  another  in  all  good  fellowship  —  all 
soldiers  of  the  right  sort  are  comrades  in  arms. 
Meantime  I  wish  you  good-fortune.  And  if,  when 
the  war  s  over  —  I  expect  that  by  that  time  you 
will  be  once  more  a  prisoner  on  parole  —  you  have  a 
fancy  for  a  little  duck-shooting,  there  is  none  better 
than  on  the  Marion  Plantation  in  St.  John's  Parish." 

I  could  not  resist  his  good  humor  and,  depressed 
as  I  was,  I  returned  his  grasp  with  spirit.  It  was 
impossible  not  to  admire  what  I  had  heard  of  him. 
and  equally  impossible  not  to  like  what  I  had  seen 
of  him.  There  was  in  him  a  sparkle  and  a  gaiety 
as  well  as  an  indomitable  spirit  that  explained  the 
hold  he  had  over  his  men,  a  hold  that  was  firmest  in 
the  darkest  days  and  when  the  Swamp  Fox's  life 
was  not  more  easy  than  his.  "Certainly,"  I  said, 
"  I  will  remember  the  duck-shooting,  General.  And 
if  I  can  procure  leave  for  you  to  reside  on  your 
plantation,  of  which  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall  still 

268 


CONSTANTIA    AT    SARATOGA 

be  in  possession,  we  may  have  the  pleasure  of 
shooting  the  ducks  in  company." 

"Bah!"  he  cried  laughing.  "Long  live  the 
Thirteen  States!" 

"Long  live  King  George!"  I  answered.  "A 
clement  and  — " 

"A  very  stupid  sovereign!"  he  retorted  gaily. 
He  waved  his  hat,  and  I  waved  mine.  I  under 
stood  that  he  did  not  wish  me  to  learn  the 
strength  of  his  party,  or  who  were  with  him; 
and  I  made  no  attempt  to  follow  him.  The  sun 
was  shining  through  the  mist  as  he  went  round 
the  house  and  disappeared  in  the  direction  of  the 
river. 

Alas,  the  passing  gaiety  with  which  his  good  tem 
per  had  infected  me  went  with  him.  For  days  I 
had  lived  upon  excitement.  The  exhilaration  of 
movement,  of  effort,  of  danger,  had  borne  me  on. 
Above  all  the  presence  of  the  girl,  whose  nearness 
set  my  pulses  bounding,  had  filled  my  thoughts  and 
buoyed  me  up.  Now  in  a  twinkling  I  stood  stripped 
of  all,  and  shivering.  Excitement,  exhilaration, 
danger,  Constantia,  all  were  gone  and  I  stood  alone, 
by  this  cursed  morass.  I  faced  a  future  as  flat  and 
dreary  as  the  prospect  before  my  eyes;  and  in  the 
rebound,  I  could  almost  have  found  it  in  my  heart 
to  pitch  myself  into  one  of  the  pale  channels  which 

269 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

the  sunlight  revealed  running  this  way  and  that 
across  the  moss.  The  gaunt  house  beside  me  was 
not  more  lonely  than  I  felt;  and  ungrateful  as  we 
too  often  are  to  Providence  —  before  whom  I  bow 
in  reverence  as  I  write  —  the  thought  that  I  had 
just  escaped  from  a  violent  death  went  for  little  in 
my  thoughts. 

I  was  digging  a  hole  in  the  mud  with  my  heel 
and  thinking  of  this  when  I  heard  footsteps  behind 
me.  I  turned  sharply;  who  can  measure  the  swift 
ness  with  which  hope  leaps  up  in  the  heart?  But 
the  steps  were  only  Marion's.  He  had  appeared 
again  at  the  corner  of  the  house. 

He  did  not  approach  me  but  called  to  me  from  a 
distance.  "Have  you  any  message  for  my  god 
daughter,"  he  asked,  "before  I  go?" 

She  has  sent  him  back,  I  thought,  to  cover  her 
retreat.  Something,  she  feels,  is  due  to  me;  and 
this  kind  of  left-handed  message  saves  her  face.  I 
felt  it,  I  felt  it  sorely,  but  I  pulled  myself  together  — 
was  I  to  remind  her  of  her  debt?  "To  be  sure,"  I 
said  as  cooly  as  I  could.  "Be  good  enough  to 
congratulate  her.  Say  how  glad  I  am  to  have  been 
of  use  to  her  —  along  with  others." 

"I'll  tell  her,"  he  called  out.  "Very  good!" 
And  he  laughed.  "Good-bye,  then,  till  better 
times.  And  don't  forget  the  duck-shooting !" 

270 


CONSTANTIA    AT    SARATOGA 

I  made  him  some  reply.  He  waved  his  hat.  He 
disappeared. 

So  it  was  all  over.  That  was  all  that  she  had  to 
say  to  me. 

For  a  little  while,  for  a  few  minutes,  anger  warmed 
me.  Then  that,  too,  died  down  and  left  me  chilled 
and  miserable.  I  ground  my  heel  farther  into  the 
mud.  The  water  welled  up  and  mechanically  I 
went  on  working  at,  and  enlarging,  the  hole. 

I  was  paying  dearly  for  a  few  hours  of  happiness; 
very  dearly  for  the  belief  which  had  lasted  no  more 
than  a  few  hours,  that  she  loved  me.  I  wondered 
now  on  what  I  had  founded  it.  On  the  fact  that 
she  had  drawn  back  when  it  had  come  to  hazarding 
my  life?  On  that  moment  when  she  had  turned  to 
me  for  help?  On  that  other  when  she  had  clung  to 
me?  On  a  blush,  a  look?  Oh,  fool!  These  were 
nothings,  I  saw  now;  things  imponderable,  intangible, 
evasive  as  the  air,  fugitive  as  the  wind.  She  had 
not  loved  me.  She  had  only  made  her  market  of 
me.  She  had  only  made  use  of  me.  She  had  drawn 
me  into  her  plans  with  others,  with  Tom,  with  Levi, 
with  her  god-father,  with  Rawdon,  with  Paton !  She 
had  made  her  market  of  us  all  —  and  saved  her 
father's  life. 

Well,  I  was  glad  she  had!  I  would  not  for  the 
world  have  had  it  otherwise.  If  my  love  for  her 

271 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

held  anything  that  was  good  and  honest  and  un 
selfish  —  and  I  thought  it  did  —  I  must  rejoice  with 
her,  and  I  would.  She  owed  me  nothing,  while 
I  owed  her  father  my  life.  And  so  at  worst  we 
were  quits. 

By  this  time  the  sun  had  drunk  up  the  last  of  the 
fog,  and  showed  the  flats  in  all  their  ugliness.  Well, 
I  would  be  going.  There  was  no  more  to  be  done 
here.  It  was  all  over. 

I  went  into  the  mill  and  stood  staring  at  the  troop- 
horses.  I  saw  that  with  only  one  arm  I  should  find 
it  no  easy  matter  to  saddle  them,  but  it  had  to  be 
done.  First,  however,  I  went  upstairs  to  get  my 
cloak,  and  I  found  not  mine  only  —  on  a  box  beside 
the  expiring  fire  lay  hers.  So  she  had  left  it  as 
lightly  as  she  had  left  me!  Beside  it,  cast  heed- 
lessly  on  the  floor  lay  the  pistol  that  had  done  so 
much  for  us.  She  had  not  given  a  second  thought 
to  that  either.  I  took  it,  and  hid  it  in  my  breast. 
It  had  lain  in  hers  when  she  had  been  unhappy, 
when  the  heart,  against  which  it  had  pressed,  had 
throbbed  to  bursting  with  the  pain  of  fear  and  of 
suspense.  I  would  never  part  with  it. 

I  went  down,  carrying  the  cloaks,  and  began  to 
deal  with  the  horses.  With  some  difficulty  I  saddled 
and  bridled  the  one  I  had  ridden,  but  the  gray 
proved  to  be  a  rogue.  As  often  as  I  forced  the  bit 

272 


between  its  teeth  it  flung  up  its  head  and  got  rid  of 
it  before  I  could  secure  the  cheekstrap.  Thrice  I 
tried  and  thrice  the  brute  baffled  me  and  once  hit 
me  heavily  on  the  chin.  A  fourth  time  I  tried  and 
failing  gave  over  with  an  oath,  and  laid  my  face 
against  the  saddle.  It  was  her  saddle,  and  heaven 
knows  whether  it  was  that  which  overcame  me,  or 
my  helplessness,  or  the  feeling  that  they  had  left  me 
to  do  this,  but  — 

"You  must  let  me  help  you  with  that." 

I  started.  The  rush  of  joy  was  so  over-powering, 
the  shock  of  hearing  her  voice  so  unexpected,  that  it 
dazzled  me  as  if  a  flame  had  passed  before  my  eyes. 
On  that  instant  of  rapture  followed  another  —  of  un 
reasoning  and  unreasonable  shame.  How  long  had 
she  been  there  ?  What  had  she  seen  —  she  who  had 
once  called  me  a  milksop?  "I  was  tightening  a 
girth,"  I  mumbled,  keeping  my  head  lowered. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "but  it  has  slipped  again,  I 
think." 

I  groped  for  it  —  it  was  indeed  hanging  under  the 
horse's  barrel.  I  murmured  that  the  stable  was  so 
dark  that  it  was  almost  impossible  — 

"You  must  let  me  help  you." 

"You  shall  in  a  moment,"  I  answered.  "I  will 
just  fix  this."  And  then  —  "I  thought  that  you  had 
gone,"  I  muttered. 

273 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

r     . 

"Gone?"   she  cried. 

"With  General  Marion." 

"Gone  without  thanking  you?"  she  exclaimed. 
"Oh,  impossible!  You  could  not  think  that  of  me! 
Gone  without  — " 

"It  was  some  mistake,"  I  said. 

"It  was  a  very  great  mistake,"  she  answered. 
"Will  you  allow  me  to  pass  you?" 

I  made  way  for  her  to  pass  to  the  horse's  head. 
The  stable  was  dark,  I  have  said,  but  as  she  went  by, 
something  prompted  her  to  turn,  and  look  me  in  the 
face.  "The  brute  hit  me  on  the  chin,"  I  said 
hurriedly. 

She  did  not  speak.  I  pulled  down  the  gray's 
head,  and  she  thrust  the  bit  between  its  teeth. 
Then  she  proceeded  to  fasten  the  cheekstrap,  but 
she  was  so  long  about  it  that  I  saw  that  her  fingers 
were  trembling  and  that  her  breath  came  as  short 
and  quick  as  if  she  had  been  running.  "My  fingers 
are  all  thumbs  this  morning,"  she  said  with  a  queer 
laugh.  "With  joy,  I  suppose.  But  there,  it's  done, 
Major  Craven.  Now  I  must  get  my  cloak,"  she 
added,  and  she  slipped  quickly  by  me  as  if  she  were 
in  a  hurry. 

"I  have  it,"  I  said. 

"And  my  pistol?" 

"I  have  that  too,"  I  said. 
274 


"Then  I  suppose  that  we  had  better  be  going/' 
she  answered.  "But  perhaps  I  ought  to  explain," 
she  continued,  as  she  stood  in  the  doorway  with  her 
back  to  the  light.  "  General  Marion  could  not  take 
me  with  him.  He  is  making  for  the  Pee  Dee  and 
the  great  marshes,  and  hopes  to  be  on  the  other  side 
of  Lynch's  creek  by  night.  He  took  Tom  but  he 
said  that  I  should  embarrass  him." 
;  "I  see." 

"He  thought  that  you  would  perhaps  escort  me 
as  far  as  Camden,"  she  continued  soberly.  "I  have 
friends  there  who  will  receive  me  for  the  night  and 
send  me  home  to-morrow  by  Rocky  Mount  and 
the  fords  of  the  Catawba.  He  fancied  that  I  had 
better  avoid  Winnsboro'." 

"I  agree  with  him,"  I  said. 

"I  might  be  arrested,  he  fancied?" 

"It  is  not  impossible,"  I  assented  dryly.  I  felt 
that  something  was  closing  in  on  me  and  stopping 
all  the  sources  of  speech.  This  ordered  plan,  this 
business-like  arrangement  —  I  was  to  be  of  use  to 
the  end  it  seemed.  Just  of  use !  I  strove  desperately 
to  resist  the  thought  and  yet  I  could  not. 

"Then  if  there  is  nothing  else,"  she  said  slowly, 
"we  might  —  be  going,  I  suppose?" 

"I  suppose  so,"  I  answered  heavily.  And  I 
turned  the  horses  round. 

275 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"Or  —  do  you  think,"  she  suggested  uncertainly, 
"that  we  had  better  eat  something  before  we  start?" 

"Let  us  eat  it  outside,  then!"  I  replied.  "I 
cannot  breathe  in  this  place." 

"Yet  you  were  ready  enough  to  enter  it!"  she 
retorted.  And  then  before  I  could  answer,  "I 
must  see  what  they've  left !"  she  exclaimed.  "There 
must  be  something  up-stairs." 

She  went  nimbly  up  the  ladder,  leaving  me  staring 
after  her.  I  turned  the  horses  round  and  secured 
them.  Then,  in  a  brown  study,  I  went  out  and  for 
the  first  time  I  passed  round  the  building,  and  saw 
the  wide  river  gliding  by,  and  beyond  it  across  the 
marshes  the  long  low  ridge  that  goes  by  the  name  of 
the  High  Hills  of  Santee.  The  sun  was  shining  on 
the  distant  ridge,  and  on  the  water,  and  compared 
with  the  prospect  from  the  other  side  of  the  mill  the 
view  was  cheerful  and  even  gay.  I  spread  her  cloak 
on  a  pile  of  lumber  that  littered  the  wharf,  and  then 
I  went  back  to  fetch  her. 

She  had  found  some  corn-bread  and  molasses, 
and  some  cold  cooked  rice.  Even  with  the  help  of 
whisky  of  which  there  was  more  than  of  anything 
else,  it  was  a  poor  feast  and  she  spread  it  in  silence 
while  I  looked  on  —  thinking  and  thinking.  From 
here  to  Camden  was  so  many  hours,  two  or  three 
or  four.  So  long  I  should  have  her  company.  Then 

276 


CONSTANTIA    AT    SARATOGA 

we  should  part.  As  I  rode  away  I  should  look  back 
and  see  her  framed  in  a  doorway;  or  I  should  stand 
myself  and  see  her  grow  small  as  she  receded,  until 
she  turned  some  corner  and  was  gone.  And  I 
should  know  that  this  was  the  end.  So  many  hours, 
two  or  three  or  four !  And  heavy  on  me  all  the  time 
the  knowledge  that  I  should  spoil  them  by  my  un 
happy  temper,  or  my  dullness,  or  that  strange  feel 
ing  that  benumbed  my  tongue  and  took  from  me 
the  power  of  speech. 

She  looked  up.  "It  is  quite  ready,"  she  said. 
And  then,  lowering  her  tone  to  a  whisper,  "Let  us 
remember  the  last  time  we  ate,"  she  said  reverently, 
"and  be  thankful." 

"Amen,"  I  said.     "I  thank  God  for  your  sake." 

"And  I  thank  too,"  she  answered  in  a  voice  that 
shook  a  little,  "  all  who  helped  me." 

"Tom?" 

"Ah,  dear  brave  Tom!"  she  cried,  tears  in  her 
voice. 

We  were  eating  by  this  time,  and  to  lighten  the 
talk,  "I  am  not  sure,"  I  said,  "that  General  Marion 
approved  of  the  manner  in  which  you  thanked  him." 

"Thanked  Tom?  Because  I  kissed  his  hand? 
I  believe  I  did,"  she  added  ingenuously.  "Oh,  it 
was  a  small  thing!  Surely  it  was  a  small  thing  to 
do  for  him  who  had  risked  his  life  for  me !" 

277 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

Our  eyes  met.  For  a  moment  the  red  flamed  in 
her  cheeks  but  she  met  my  look  bravely.  "I  am 
not  ashamed,"  she  said.  "I  would  do  the  same 
again  in  the  same  case." 

The  eyes  that  fell  were  mine.  I  was  tongue-tied. 
Here  was  an  opening  but  how  could  I  say  that  I  was 
in  the  same  case.  How  could  I  claim  that  the  risk 
I  had  run  was  to  be  compared  with  that  which  Tom 
had  run.  Or  how  could  I  claim  at  all  as  a  debt  — 
what  I  wanted.  Perish  the  thought !  So  I  went  on 
eating,  silent  and  stupid,  thinking  of  the  few,  few 
hours  that  separated  us  from  Camden,  thinking  of 
the  long,  long  time  that  would  follow.  She  said  one 
or  two  things  disjointedly;  that  her  father  would  free 
Tom,  of  course;  that  he  was  a  very  clever  negro, 
and  wonderful  as  a  bone-setter. 

"I  should  know  that,"  I  said. 

"Yes,"  she  assented;  and  I  stole  a  glance  at  her. 
She  had  found  means  to  plait  up  her  hair  and  ar 
range  her  dress.  She  was  another  creature  now 
from  the  desperate,  driven,  tragical  girl  who  had 
clung  to  me  that  morning,  whose  heart  had  beaten 
for  an  instant  against  mine,  whose  pistol  at  this 
moment  lay  hard  and  cold  on  my  breast.  My 
courage  sank  lower  and  lower.  Of  that  girl  I  had 
had  hopes,  on  her  I  had  had  a  claim.  But  this  one 
was  a  stranger. 

278 


CONSTANTIA    AT    SARATOGA 

Presently  we  had  finished,  and  she  rose  and  went 
down  to  the  river  to  wash  her  hands. 

When  she  had  done  this  she  turned  and  came  up 
the  bank  again,  swinging  her  hat  in  her  hand,  and 
softly  crooning  some  song  of  praise.  The  sun  flamed 
from  the  water  behind  her,  and  out  of  that  light  she 
came  towards  me,  tall  and  slender  and  gracious, 
and  with  such  a  glory  of  thanksgiving  in  her  face, 
that  my  pride,  or  whatever  it  was,  that  stood  be 
tween  her  and  me,  and  kept  me  silent,  gave  way  and 
broke!  What  matter  what  she  thought?  What 
matter  if  she  trod  me  under  foot,  held  me  cheap, 
disdained  me?  What  matter?  I  went  to  meet 
her. 

"You  did  that  for  Tom,"  I  said.  "Have  you 
nothing  for  me?  For  me,  too?" 

Her  grave  eyes  met  mine.  She  was  nearly  of  a 
height  with  me.  "For  you,"  she  said,  "I  have  all 
that  you  choose  to  ask." 

"Yourself?"  I  cried. 

"If  it  be  your  pleasure." 

And  that,  it  may  be  thought,  should  have  satis 
fied  me,  who  an  instant  before  had  despaired.  But 
so  presumptuous  is  success  I  was  already  jealous, 
already  exigent.  "Ah,  not  as  a  debt?"  I  cried. 
"  If  you  cannot  give  me  your  love,  Con  ?  " 

"I  cannot,"  she  answered  with  smiling  eyes.  "It 
279 


MADAM     CONSTANTIA 

has  been  given  to  you  this  month  past."  Then  as 
she  hung  back  from  me,  blushing  divinely,  "They 
have  touched  Tom's  black  hands,"  she  said. 

"God  bless  them  for  it!"  I  answered. 

Later  she  told  me  that  she  had  loved  me  from  the 
hour  I  had  kept  silence  as  to  her  part  in  the  outrage 
at  the  Bluff.  "I  was  ashamed,  oh,  I  was  horribly 
ashamed  of  it,"  she  said.  "I  knew  that  neither 
my  father  nor  my  god-father  would  have  done  that ! 
Yet,  I  am  not  sure  that  it  was  not  earlier  than  that? 
I  think  it  was  your  mention  of  the  soldier's  wife  when 
you  were  yourself  in  —  in  danger  —  that  clung  to 
my  memory,  and  would  not  be  shaken  off,  and  — " 

"  Poor  Simms ! "  I  said.    "  And  I  once  envied  him ! " 


At  Camden  the  Wateree  becomes  the  Catawba, 
and  happiness  becomes  memory  or  anticipation, 
according  as  you  gaze  up  or  down  the  stream.  For 
there,  in  a  tiny  parlor  in  a  white  frame  house  look 
ing  on  a  poplar  wood,  I  parted  from  Constantia, 
and  left  her  with  the  friends  who  were  to  see  her  as 
far  as  Rocky  Mount  on  her  homeward  journey.  I 
fear  that  they  were  rebels.  But  there  are  things 
which  it  is  wise  to  leave  sub  silentio ;  the  dog  that 
has  found  a  bone  does  not  bark.  And  my  position 
was  delicate. 

280 


I  felt  that  position  grow  more  delicate  in  propor 
tion  as,  with  my  face  turned  towards  Winnsboro', 
I  approached  the  camp.  I  was  not  sad;  the  future 
held  that  which  would  make  amends  for  present 
evils.  But  I  knew  that  I  had  an  unpleasant  passage 
before  me,  and  my  conscience  was  not  quite  clear. 
At  any  rate  I  had  misgivings,  and  taking  care  to 
reach  the  camp  at  sunset,  and  as  the  guard  was 
changing,  I  made  my  way  to  Paton's  quarters  with 
out  beat  of  drum.  I  was  lucky  enough  to  find  him 
before  the  Provost-Marshal  found  me. 

He  shook  with  laughter  when  he  saw  me.  "Upon 
my  honor,  Major,"  he  said.  "We  are  all  vastly 
obliged  to  you!  You  are  a  whole  company  of 
players  in  yourself.  As  the  hero-errant  who  re 
lieves  the  Distressed  Damsel  and  releases  the  Be 
leaguered  Knight  you  fill  the  stage.  The  camp  is 
agog  with  you.  The  latest  about  you  is  that  the 
rebels  have  hung  you  from  the  roof  of  a  remote  house 
in  the  marshes.  And,  lo,  we  are  all  lamenting  you, 
when  in  you  walk  as  coolly  as  if  the  Dragon  at  Head 
quarters,  robbed  of  his  prey,  were  not  breathing 
Court  Martials  and  Firing  Parties  and  the  worst 
threats  against  you." 

"I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  I  said  stoutly. 

"Innocent!" 

"That  is  what  I  am." 

281 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

"Well,  you  will  have  to  persuade  my  lord  of  it," 
he  retorted.  "And  you'll  find  your  work  prepared 
for  you!  Francis  Rawdon-Hastings  is  in  no  mean 
rage,  my  lad.  The  sooner  you  placate  him  the 
better.  I  hope  the  lady  has  come  to  give  evidence 
for  you?" 

I  pooh-poohed  this,  but  I  took  his  hint  and  I 
went  straight  to  Headquarters,  leaving  him  mightily 
amused.  There,  the  storm  was  not  slow  to  break 
over  me.  My  conduct  was  disgraceful,  contu 
macious,  subversive  of  all  discipline,  flat  mutiny.  I 
had  taken  advantage  of  my  position  and  his  lord 
ship's  friendship,  and  the  rest.  I  had  collogued 
with  convicted  rebels,  I  had  wandered  over  the 
country  with  suspected  persons.  I  should  be  tried 
by  Court  Martial,  I  should  find,  whoever  I  was, 
that  I  could  not  do  these  things  with  impunity! 
D  —  dif  I  could! 

When  I  could  be  heard  —  and  Webster,  generally 
kind  and  easy-going,  was  almost  as  bad  as  the 
Irishman,  "But,  my  lord,"  I  said,  "What  had  I  to 
do  with  the  escape?  It  was  not  I  who  permitted 
the  lady  to  visit  her  father?" 

That  hit  them  between  wind  and  water.  They 
stared.  "Then  it  was  she?"  my  lord  exclaimed. 

"Who  took  in  the  disguise,  my  lord?  As  I  have 
since  learned  —  it  was.  And  I  venture  to  say  that 

282 


CONSTANTIA    AT    SARATOGA 

there  is  not  an  officer  in  the  service  in  your  lordship's 
position,  or  in  any  other,  who  would  punish  a 
daughter  for  the  attempt  to  save  her  father's  life!" 

"The  devil  is  that  she  did  save  it,  sir!"  he  an 
swered  with  vexation.  But  he  could  not  regain  his 
old  fluency,  and  presently  he  asked  me  to  tell  him 
all  I  knew.  I  did  so,  feeling  sure  that  he  would  be 
unable  to  withhold  his  admiration;  and  the  final 
result  as  far  as  I  was  concerned  was  a  reprimand 
and  ten  days  confinement  to  camp  —  and  an  intol 
erable  amount  of  jesting!  Some  wag,  Paton,  I  am 
afraid,  discovered  that  her  name  was  Constantia 
and  adding  it  to  our  Osgodby  motto,  the  single 
word  "Virtus,"  scrawled  a  whole  series  of  "Virtus 
et  Constantia"  over  my  books  and  papers.  Perhaps 
in  a  silly  way  I  liked  it. 

Certainly  this  was  the  least  of  my  troubles.  The 
greatest,  or  at  any  rate,  that  which  tried  me  most 
sharply,  was  the  fact  that  I  could  not  communicate 
with  Constantia  without  laying  myself  open  to  sus 
picion.  For  several  months  I  received  no  news  of 
her  and  had  to  content  myself  with  doing  all  that  I 
could  to  procure  the  release  of  her  brother.  Of  me, 
indeed,  she  heard  through  the  mysterious  channels 
which  were  open  to  her  side.  But  she  was  too 
thoughtful  of  me  and  too  careful  of  my  honor  to 
approach  me  through  them.  At  length  there  came 

283 


MADAM    CONSTANTIA 

a  change  laden  with  bitter  sorrow  to  her.  Her 
father  fell  in  the  engagement  at  Guildford  Court 
House  in  a  gallant  but  vain  attempt  to  stem  the 
flight  of  the  Northern  Militia.  Stricken  to  the 
heart  —  though  she  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  he  had  fallen  on  the  field  of  honor  —  she 
abandoned  the  Bluff  which,  exposed  to  incursions 
from  both  sides,  was  no  longer  a  safe  place  for  her, 
With  Aunt  Lyddy  and  Mammy  Jacks  she  came 
down  to  Charles  Town. 

For  how  much  the  desire  to  see  me  counted  in 
inducing  her  to  take  this  step,  she  knew  and  I 
guessed.  And  fortune  which  had  frowned,  pres 
ently  smiled  on  us.  I  was  attached  to  General 
Leslie's  force  in  Charles  Town,  and  there  I  saw  her 
almost  daily  and  learned  to  know  her  as  I  had 
learned  to  love  her.  I  passed  unscathed  through 
the  fight  at  Eutaw  Springs:  she  uninjured  through 
many  months  of  devoted  attendance  on  her  sick  and 
wounded  countrymen.  A  month  before  the  evacua 
tion  of  the  city  by  the  British,  and  when  the  approach 
of  peace  had  already  softened  men's  minds  and  made 
things  easy  which  had  been  hard  before,  we  were 
married  at  St.  Philip's. 

We  passed  our  honeymoon  on  the  Marion  Planta 
tion  in  St.  John's  Parish  with  a  pass  granted  by 
General  Greene;  and  there  Constantia's  brother, 

284 


whose  freedom  I  had  procured  two  months  before, 
joined  us.  When  he,  with  Aunt  Lyddy  and  Mammy 
Jacks,  went  north  to  take  up  again  the  threads  of 
life  at  the  Bluff,  we  crossed  to  the  islands  and  thence 
sailed  for  Europe  in  the  Falmouth  Packet. 

With  all  our  love  for  one  another  the  last  night  in 
harbor  was  a  sad  night  for  both.  For  Constantia, 
because  she  was  leaving  her  native  land.  For  me 
it  was  saddened  by  the  sight  of  the  ships  that  lay 
beside  us,  laden  with  those  who  had  supported  our 
cause  and  must  now,  for  other  reasons  than  Con- 
stantia's,  face  a  life  of  exile.  My  heart  bled  for 
them;  nay,  as  I  write  twenty  years  later,  it  is  still 
sore  for  them.  But  the  wound  is  healing,  if  slowly, 
and  I  look  forward  in  hope  and  with  confidence  to  a 
day  when  the  birth  and  the  traditions  which  we  share 
will  once  more  unite  the  two  branches  of  our  race, 
it  may  be  in  a  common  cause,  it  may  be  in  the  face 
of  a  common  peril. 

So  may  it  be ! 


285 


"It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  romances  he  has  produced." 

— Philadelphia  Evening  Public  Ledger. 

SIR  RIDER  HAGGARD'S  NEW  NOVEL 

LOVE  ETERNAL 

Crown  8vo.     Cloth,  $1.50  net 


".  .  .a  romance  concerned  with  two  great  themes — 
reincarnation  and  the  persistence  of  personal  communica 
tion  after  death  between  persons  who  love  each  other. 
...  it  has  some  excellent  character  drawing  to  recom 
mend  it,  and  not  a  little  basic  truth  of  a  kind  which 
many  persons  are  groping  for  in  these  days  of  danger,  loss 
and  harsh  handling  by  fate." — San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

"A  sympathetic  romance  of  love  triumphant  .  .  . 
stands  well  above  the  average  of  writings  of  this  kind 
and  will  add  new  credit  to  the  repute  of  its  versatile 
author." — The  Tribune,  New  York. 

"The  reader's  attention  is  held,  the  glimpses  of  the 
war  in  those  early  days  when  Godfrey  was  one  of  that 
immortal  band  of  heroes  to  whom  we  owe  so  immeasur 
able  a  debt,  the  'contemptible  little  English  army,'  are 
well  done,  and  there  is  much  that  is  both  touching  and 
beautiful  in  the  depiction  of  the  love — love  stronger  far 
than  death — between  Isobel  and  Godfrey." 

— The  Times,  New  York. 

"To  the  skeptic  and  doubter  'Love  Eternal'  will  be 
read  merely  as  a  pleasant  love  story;  to  the  increasing 
number  who  feel  there  is  'something  in*  psychic  com 
munications,  the  book  will  carry  a  deeper  significance." — 
Detroit  Free  Press. 


Longmans,  Green  &  Co. 

New  York 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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